May 2026
Issue 2
Letter from the JCTS Editor
Clinical and translational science is built around difficult questions about health, disease, intervention, and implementation. Today, I find myself asking a different question: who studies the system that makes science possible?
Over the past several years, our research enterprise has been tested repeatedly. A global pandemic forced reinvention at extraordinary speed. More recently, shifting priorities, funding uncertainty, administrative disruption, and institutional constraints have created a different kind of stress test. Yet across academia, government, health systems, and the broader translational ecosystem, the work continues.
That persistence deserves recognition. Not because resilience is painless, but because it reveals something important: our scientific ecosystem contains structures, teams, and leadership models capable of adaptation under real pressure. The question is whether we understand them well enough to strengthen them intentionally.
This is where evaluation matters.
Evaluation is too often treated as administrative bookkeeping. In reality, it is how we distinguish activity from impact, innovation from theater, and resilience from mere survival. It is how we determine whether the infrastructures we build, the teams we assemble, and the investments we make actually improve our ability to generate trustworthy science. For this reason, I am pleased to announce a new thematic issue in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science focused on evaluation in clinical and translational science.
This is not simply about reporting metrics. It is about understanding what works in research ecosystems. How should we evaluate translational infrastructure? How do we measure meaningful impact? What methods help us understand complex, adaptive, interdisciplinary systems? How do we evaluate team science, workforce development, equity, implementation, and societal return? These are not peripheral questions. They are central to the future of translational science.
In many ways, this reflects the maturation of our field. We have become increasingly sophisticated at studying interventions and implementation. We must now be equally rigorous in studying the enterprise itself. The science of science is no longer abstract scholarship. It is a strategic necessity. That is exactly where JCTS belongs. If your work helps us understand how science becomes more effective, efficient, equitable, or impactful, we want to see it. Because improving health through science also requires improving the science system itself.
Chris Lindsell, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
ACTS Updates
New Thematic Issue from JCTS
The Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS) has just released a new thematic issue: "Advancing Evaluation Practices in Clinical and Translational Science/Research." This special issue highlights novel advancements, methodologies, and transformative practices in the evaluation of clinical and translational science, all to showcase years of evolution in the discipline. Collectively, the articles move the field toward more rigorous, use-driven evaluation that is highly attentive to impact. These select articles and more are available to read for free online now.
Interested in contributing to a future thematic issue? Visit the open call for papers and learn how you can submit your research and gain visibility through one of science's fastest growing open access journals!
Meet the 2026-2027 ACTS Committees
ACTS is happy to introduce our new committee rosters for the 2026-2027 term! These committees work year round to add value for ACTS members and assist the Board of Directors with the execution of their strategic plan. Take a moment to get to know the committees, especially our several new volunteers, by visiting our website.
Interested in volunteering with ACTS? Be on the lookout for future calls for volunteers in your inbox, or reach out to info@actscience.org for more information.
Partner News
News from the Hill
May featured House appropriators advancing an aggressive schedule to markup the twelve annual appropriations bills for FY 2027, including scheduled mid-June consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education measure. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) appropriations bill, traditionally the most bipartisan and broadly supported measure, was passed by the House early on but included a notable proposed cut for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program. Subsequent spending bills have included further proposed funding cuts (though rejected the most significant reductions and continue to resist agency reorganization proposals from the administration). More-recent spending bills in the House have also met near immediate partisan headwinds leading to almost exclusively party-line votes on all measures considered thus far.
"News from the Hill" briefings are generously provided by our advocacy partners from the Health and Medicine Counsel
Stories from our Members
Dinner at the door: Convenient healthy meals may ease depression symptoms
Making healthy meals more convenient through meal delivery services could improve depressive symptoms by removing some of the daily burdens that often accompany depression, according to a new University of Michigan study.
The study explored whether easier access to minimally processed foods could support mental health among adults experiencing moderate to moderately severe depressive symptoms.
Harshly parented children show poorer development of stress regulation
As toddlers age into the preschool years, their dependency on their parents usually begins to ebb. However, a new study led by Penn State researchers has revealed that physically or psychologically aggressive parenting, such as spanking or shouting, can disrupt this pattern to the detriment of both child and mother, with the child requiring more external regulation, rather than less, as they age.
Want to see your institution's stories featured in this section? Head to our story submission form to share your recent articles!
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Share your Stories
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 using this form to be highlighted in future issues of the ACTS Connection.
Professional Development
ACTS offers multiple tools to aid in your professional development. Check out past webinars and Translational Science sessions in the Learning Library, or apply to earn one of our new Digital Badges!