November 2022
Issue 1
Letter From the President
Nothing is constant but change. That is inevitable and there is a lot of change amongst us now. Change related to politics and the mid-term elections, the climate, our weather, and wars. There are also changes going on around us in our unique disciplines, our science, and our institutions. While some are positive, we still need to stay focused on our science and doing all we can to continue a progressive trajectory to transform translational science. That is why I wanted to revisit segments of my first letter as President. It has been six months since my first note when I shared with you my ideas for ACTS growth and I thought we should see how things are going. I was interested in ACTS focusing on:
- Increasing the diversity of our members—in terms of sex, geographic distribution, discipline, ethnicity, and profession—so that all staff, faculty and students would be able to contribute to the association. We are making good progress. We have a DEI committee, which is not a check the box effort. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, as I wrote about last month, is one of the most important foci of our Board; we discuss issues at each meeting. The Program Committee has structured plans for the TS23 meetings to reflect more inclusivity of all members and non-members. ACTS has shown its commitment in multiple ways, including our Special Interest Groups.
- Strengthening the relationship and communication between the NIH institutes most closely aligned to our work and our organization. We are making excellent progress in this area. We have begun quarterly calls with Joni Rutter, newly named permanent Director of NCATS, in order to strengthen communication with the Institute. The Program Committee is also planning a “fireside chat” format to discuss issues of importance with Dr. Rutter, and other Institute/Agency Directors.
- Involving association members in the business of the organization to encompass as many ideas as possible for the growth of ACTS, by strongly supporting the SIGs in all they do. We have made terrific progress in this area. Members requested a JEDI and Informatics SIG; these were added in the past couple of months. We have advertised our SIGS in multiple venues and newsletters to make the members aware of our need for their involvement.
- Beginning a strategic planning process that will catapult the ACTS to make even greater contributions. We held a pre-planning meeting and then held a strategic planning meeting, in-person. New ideas in the areas important to our members were discussed and will be implemented.
We have added heightened awareness to advocacy—to advocate for translational science locally, regionally and nationally. I will discuss this in another newsletter briefing. I have learned how important it is for us to stand together, make our voices heard and share our findings with the people who make the decisions to fund us.
So, our past six months have been full of activity. I am hopeful that if you are reading this you have also submitted an abstract for a poster or a workshop or a symposium for TS23. I am also hopeful that you have joined a Special Interest Group. WE NEED YOU!
Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE
ACTS President
Translational Science 2023: Call For Poster Proposals
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Poster proposals for Translational Science: Innovating Translational Science For Research are due next week! Don't miss your chance to showcase your original research to an audience of key thought leaders. Poster proposals are due Monday, November 14. Please visit our website to learn more about the submissions portal, best practices, and more. We look forward to receiving your poster submissions! |
Editor-in-Chief Search for the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
The Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS) is accepting applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief that will take effect January 1, 2024.
The Editor-in-Chief reports to the ACTS Board of Directors and is responsible for:
- selecting and publishing the highest quality content of the Journal in the clinical and translational science field
- establishing the editorial scope of the Journal and its editorial policies
- overseeing peer review of manuscripts submitted to the Journal
- upholding high ethical standards
- maintaining effective working relationships with relevant ACTS and CR Forum governance groups, the staff, and the publisher
- reporting regularly on the status of JCTS to the Publications Committee and ACTS Board of Directors
- participating in the leadership of ACTS as an ex-officio member of the board and Publications Committee
All candidates for the position of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science are asked to submit your interest and provide a curriculum vitae to info@actscience.org by Wednesday, November 16. For additional information about the JCTS, candidates are welcome to contact JCTS Editor-in-Chief Lars Berglund (lberglund@ucdavis.edu).
Upcoming Virtual Roundtable
Join us on Tuesday, December 6 at 1:00 p.m. CT for a virtual roundtable: "Justice Fueled Change."
In this highly interactive third installment of the ACTS Professional Development Roundtables, we will use role play, break out rooms, and brave spaces to be change agents for our institutions, and hear from diversity, equity and inclusivity expert Tiffany Danielle Chisholm Pineda.
This virtual roundtable is free for members, $10 for non-member early career investigators, and $15 for non-members.
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science: The Official Journal of ACTS and CR Forum
- Gold Open Access: fully compliant with Open Access Mandates
- Articles funded by the NIH will be manually sent to PubMed Central
- Articles appear with their final citation details as soon as they are published online
- Prestigious editorial board listing
- Global dissemination of your paper
- Metrics, Altmetrics and Kudos to monitor submissions
Want to receive alerts when new articles are published? Click the 'Add Alert' (🔔) icon here, then login or register for a Cambridge Core account to receive daily, weekly, or monthly updates.
Member Highlights
Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for outstanding or groundbreaking work? Is your institution embarking on an exciting project? Send ACTS your story to be highlighted in future versions of ACTS Connection.
Submit stories here.
Career Center
The ACTS Career Center is the premier resource for connecting those in the field of translational science with career opportunities. Visit today to find a wealth of resources to help achieve your career goals.
ACTS members receive a 50% discount on the site—use code ACTSMEMBER to save!
Translational Science Today
NIH names Dr. Joni L. Rutter director of the National...
Rutter will lead NIH efforts to speed translation of scientific discoveries into new treatments and other health interventions. Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., who is performing the duties of the National Institutes of Health director, has...