CTS teams: a new model for translational team training and team science intervention

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical/translational science (CTS) is team-based, requiring effective collaboration and communication across many disciplines involving a variety of stakeholders. We implemented a pre-doctoral team-based training model with didactic and experiential curricular interventions to support the development of CTS research skills in a cross-disciplinary team environment. We assessed the potential impact of this new training model as a team science intervention that can catalyze new cross-disciplinary collaborations across the institution.

Methods: Between 2016 and 2020, 32 pre-doctoral students and 26 co-mentors participated in the assessment of the CTS Team program over a two-year period of TL1 training grant support. Data collection and analyses followed a program logic model and used a variety of metrics for clinical and translational scientist career success.

Results: CTS training in the context of CTS Teams supported improved self-efficacy for clinical research skills and resulted in a significant increase in the frequency of participation in cross-disciplinary collaborative activities by both trainees and mentors. Most CTS Team co-mentor pairs had not previously collaborated. Two-thirds of the co-mentors plan to continue collaborating, and most (85%) currently use or plan to use collaboration tools, for example, written collaboration plans, authorship agreements.

Conclusions: The CTS Team training model provides a unique clinical and translational science team training experience that embeds authentic cross-disciplinary research collaboration into PhD research projects. It establishes trainee cohorts that are diverse in terms of scientific disciplines and translational research phases, and creates a new cross-disciplinary community of practice across faculty members and research groups in multiple colleges.

Keywords: CTSA; TL1; Team science; evaluation; predoctoral.

Fig. 1.

Logic model used for the design and implementation of the clinical and translational science team training model (CTS Teams) in the UF TL1 program. Elements addressed in in this report are highlighted in red bold font.

Fig. 2.

Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Team members were more diverse by scientific discipline than individual TL1 trainees. A, Home colleges of individual TL1 trainees, 2009-2016. B, Home colleges of CTS Team members, 2016-2020. C, Social network analysis of CTS Team home colleges, drawn using NodeXL [18]. Nodes represent colleges, and lines (edges) represent CTS Teams that connect the colleges. Line thickness is proportional to number of teams with each home college pairing (edge weight). Abbreviations used for University of Florida colleges: AGR, Agriculture & Life Sciences; ENG, Engineering; HHP, Health & Human Performance; JC, Journalism & Communications; LAS, Liberal Arts & Sciences; MED, Medicine; NUR, Nursing; PHHP, Public Health & Health Professions; PHM, Pharmacy; VET, Veterinary Medicine.

Fig. 3.

Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Team research projects were more diverse by translational research phase than projects by individual TL1 trainees. Percentages are shown for the translational research phases of research projects conducted by 34 individual TL1 trainees (blue) and 16 CTS Teams (orange). Counts are indicated by numbers above the bars.

Fig. 4.

More Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Team co-mentors plan future collaborations than had previously collaborated. A, Previous collaborative relationships between CTS Team co-mentors (N = 28). B, Plans for future collaboration between CTS Team co-mentors (N = 19). Descriptive responses were categorized as “No” (orange) or “Yes” (blue).