Northwestern University Clinical &Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS)

What Northwestern University Clinical &Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) does

NUCATS is a non-profit clinical and translational sciences institute embedded within Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Founded in 2007/2008 as one of the original NIH Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) hubs, it operates as a catalyst that connects investigators with consultative resources, training programs, and funding opportunities to accelerate the translation of discoveries from the laboratory to patient and community settings. The institute is structured as a platform of interconnected centers and programs — including the Biostatistics Collaboration Center (BCC), Center for Clinical Research (CCR), Center for Community Health (CCH), Center for Education & Career Development (CECD), Center for Translational Innovation (CTI), Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University Data & Analysis Coordinating Center (NUDACC), and the Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities (ARCC) — together with degree and certificate programs (MSCI, K12, TL1, Mentor Training Certificate, Leadership and Management Strategies), pilot and voucher funding mechanisms, and clinical research infrastructure spanning Clinical Research Units at Lurie Children's and Northwestern Memorial.

The underlying technology stack centers on translational-science service platforms rather than commercial products: REDCap for data collection, the ACT Network for multi-institution data sharing, the Northwestern Medicine Electronic Data Warehouse (NMEDW) for clinical queries, and TeamScience.net for team-science e-learning. Machine-learning work is documented in computational phenotyping (EHR mining across ~10,000 breast-cancer cases) and pediatric critical-care prediction modeling. Customer-facing assets include the NUCATS Navigator Team, Resource Directory, and Science In Translation podcast.

NUCATS does not operate a commercial business model. Funding flows from three streams: NIH CTSA grant funding (anchored by a $46 million UL1 award in 2019), institutional support from Northwestern University, and private philanthropy from alumni, friends, and patients. Additional indirect revenue comes through tuition-bearing executive education (e.g., Leadership and Management Strategies for Clinical Investigators at $5,000). The institute's "customers" are internally Northwestern Feinberg faculty, trainees, and research staff, with selected services extending to affiliated hospitals (Lurie Children's, Northwestern Memorial, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) and, via the CTSA Trial Innovation Network, to peer institutions nationally.

Name

Northwestern University Clinical &Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS)

Legal name

Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute

Website

https://nucats.northwestern.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NUCATS is an NIH CTSA-funded clinical and translational sciences institute within Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine that provides research infrastructure, training programs, pilot funding, and consultative services to accelerate scientific discovery into clinical and community applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical and Translational Research Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGAEAA

Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Central Labs & Clinical Diagnostics Services (Trial Support)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Translational science training
• Biomedical research infrastructure
• Clinical trial support
• Research workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NIH CTSA Grant Funding: As one of more than 60 NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Science Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA)-funded hubs, NUCATS receives substantial federal research funding to support translational science infrastructure and programs.
2. Institutional Support: Strong and generous institutional support from Northwestern University provides operational funding and resources for the institute's activities.
3. Private Philanthropy: Private philanthropic support from Feinberg alumni, friends and patients enables the institute's work to continue through outright gifts, appreciated assets, and pledges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NUCATS provides consultative resources, training, and research infrastructure that accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical and community applications. Its service portfolio spans degree programs (MSCI), career development awards (K12, TL1), Clinical Research Units, biostatistics and data coordinating services, community engagement programs, mentor training, and small-scale pilot and voucher funding for Northwestern investigators.

Product overview

NUCATS is a comprehensive clinical and translational sciences institute (one of 60+ NIH NCATS CTSA-funded hubs) that provides a multi-component portfolio of consultative resources, training programs, and research infrastructure services to accelerate scientific discovery into patient and community health applications. The institute operates as a platform of interconnected centers and programs rather than a single product, offering degree programs (MSCI), career development awards (K12/KL2, TL1), clinical research infrastructure (Clinical Research Units, Biostatistics Collaboration Center, NUDACC), community engagement programs (ARCC, Center for Community Health), education and career development services (CECD, Mentor Training, ESI Academy), innovation and commercialization support (CTI), and various funding mechanisms (Pilot Awards, Vouchers). Researchers access these services through the NUCATS Navigator Team and Resource Directory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) Graduate degree program offering training in clinical investigation methods, biostatistics, and translational research design for early-career investigators at Northwestern.
• Leadership and Management Strategies for Clinical Investigators A four-day executive education program delivered with the Kellogg School of Management that develops leadership skills, organizational culture, and strategic management capabilities for clinical investigators.
• Early-Stage Investigator Academy A program of monthly seminars and networking for early-career faculty and postdoctoral fellows preparing for NIH K grants or R01 funding.
• Mentor Training Certificate Program (MTCP) Certificate program training faculty in effective clinical and translational research mentoring and satisfying NIH mentor requirements on T32 and training grants.
• Art of Science Communication Course Eight-week online course providing scientists with fundamental training in science communication for presenting to nonexpert audiences; free for Feinberg faculty and staff.
• Good Clinical Practice Training Required Good Clinical Practice training for investigators and study personnel involved in NIH-defined clinical trials, with multiple certification options.
• K12 Multidisciplinary Career Development Program NCATS-sponsored career development award supporting early-career faculty with protected time, structured mentorship, and interdisciplinary training.
• Clinical Research Unit (CRU) Research-specific nursing and laboratory services for clinical trial implementation, providing study start-up, management, and protocol compliance support.
• Biostatistics Collaboration Center (BCC) Resource providing biostatistical, epidemiological, programming, and data management support for clinical and translational investigators.
• Northwestern University Data & Analysis Coordinating Center (NUDACC) Center providing expertise in study planning, design, data collection, monitoring, regulatory reporting, and statistical analysis across the study life cycle.
• Center for Community Health (CCH) Center catalyzing meaningful community and patient engagement across the research spectrum and supporting authentic community-academic partnerships.
• Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities (ARCC) Community-academic partnership program supporting collaborative research between Chicagoland communities and Northwestern University.
• Center for Translational Innovation (CTI) Center providing technology commercialization expertise including pilot grant funding, mentorship programs, IP protection, and regulatory strategy, in partnership with INVO.
• Dissemination & Implementation Program Education, training, and consultation on best practices for translating evidence-based services and programs into clinical and community practice.
• Galter Health Sciences Library Library providing literature searching, systematic review support, NIH public access compliance, bibliometrics, and bioinformatics software resources.
• Team Science Program Resources and consultation for forming, developing, and managing interdisciplinary research teams.
• Recruitment & Retention Consultation Service Consultation on evidence-informed strategies for participant engagement, including social media recruitment, community outreach, and retention planning.
• Voucher and Pilot Programs Rapid funding programs providing tier 1 vouchers ($2,500) and tier 2 pilot awards ($10,000) to accelerate research by addressing critical gaps.
• Translational Science Pilot Awards Pilot funding supporting translational science research projects at Northwestern, with multiple named award lines for specific research domains.
• Studio Consultations Grant development support consultations helping researchers prepare competitive grant applications.
• Northwestern University Clinical Investigation Accelerator (NU-CTIA) 12-month academy program launched in 2022 helping early and mid-career investigators formulate clinical research protocols for NIH, foundation, or industry funding.
• Research Ethics and Equity Consultation Service Consultation service addressing ethical issues and equity considerations in clinical and translational research design.
• Science In Translation Podcast Podcast series featuring discussions on current issues in translational research and clinical science.
• Evaluation & Continuous Improvement Program (ECIP) Data-driven evaluation and continuous improvement services for enhancing research impact, including dashboards, program evaluation, and bibliometric analyses.
• TL1 Multidisciplinary Training Program NCATS-funded training program promoting interactions among mentors and trainees in pediatrics and engineering for child-health research.
• NUCATS Resource Directory Comprehensive online directory cataloging all NUCATS research resources, services, and support available to investigators.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,000 academic publications supported since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026NUCATS and NICO co-hosted a symposium in February 2026 to Empower High-Priority Research Collaborations, bringing together nearly 40 faculty participants representing 29 departments across four Northwestern schools. A $50,000 seed funding competition was held for team-based research proposals.
• Kellogg School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Kellogg and NUCATS to deliver the Leadership and Management Strategies for Clinical Investigators course. The four-day program helps researchers harness unique leadership skills, with tuition of $5,000 covered 90% by Northwestern's Employee Reduced Tuition program.
• Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINVO partnered with NUCATS to create the Center for Translational Innovation (CTI), which offers expertise in technology commercialization and innovation including pilot grant funding, mentorship programs, commercialization clinics, intellectual property protection, and regulatory strategy.
• CTSA Trial Innovation NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationNUCATS participates in the NIH CTSA Trial Innovation Network, which leverages the CTSA consortium for multi-site studies. Through this network, investigators can engage with Trial Innovation Centers at other institutions for study design and implementation support.
• Galter Health Sciences LibrarycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGalter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center provides dedicated support services including literature searching, systematic review support, NIH Public Access Policy compliance assistance, Metrics and Impact Core, bioinformatics software, and clinical librarian services.
• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center on the Translational Applications in Medical Research lecture series and other translational science initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center: One of the original NIH CTSA-funded hubs based at Harvard Medical School, offering comparable translational science training, pilot funding, and clinical research infrastructure to investigators. Serves an analogous role within the Harvard academic ecosystem.
• Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI): Duke's CTSA-funded translational institute offering biostatistics, research navigation, KL2 scholar training, and community engagement services structurally similar to NUCATS.
• University of Chicago Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM): Also a Chicago-based NIH CTSA-funded translational science hub serving University of Chicago investigators. Directly comparable to NUCATS in mission (translational infrastructure, training, pilot funding), CTSA funding model, and clinical research support services.
• Washington University in St. Louis Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS): WashU's CTSA-funded institute offering translational research support, training programs, and pilot funding for clinical investigators. Closely comparable scope and operating model.
• UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute: Another NIH CTSA-funded hub at UCSF providing investigator training, biostatistics support, pilot funding, and clinical research infrastructure. Highly comparable service portfolio, including KL2 scholar programs and community engagement arms.
• Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR): An NIH CTSA-funded hub with a similar three-pillar mission of translational research support, workforce training, and community engagement. Operates with the same federal funding model and comparable clinical research support services.
• Stanford Spectrum (Stanford Center for Clinical and Translational Research): Stanford's NIH CTSA-funded translational research hub with comparable services (KL2, pilot awards, biostatistics, clinical research units). Operates with similar scope across a top-tier medical school ecosystem.
• Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR): Vanderbilt's CTSA-funded translational research institute offering pilot funding programs (including the VICTR voucher program), KL2 training, biostatistics support, and research informatics broadly comparable to NUCATS.
• University of Pennsylvania Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT): An early NIH CTSA hub focused on translational therapeutics and education with education/training pillars (including certificate programs) and pilot funding that closely parallel NUCATS' service mix.

Regional players

• University of Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR): Another Midwest-based NIH CTSA hub providing translational science services to University of Michigan investigators. Comparable service portfolio but operates in a different regional footprint than NUCATS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NUCATSInstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NUFeinbergMed
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthwesternFeinberg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/524724
• Instagraminstagram.com/nufeinbergmed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Northwestern University Clinical &Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS)