The mission of the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) Network is to develop and sustain a clinical and translational research infrastructure that supports improvement in rural and community health for inhabitants in the IDeA states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. This goal will be accomplished through complementary and synergistic collaborations of investigators in two lead institutions, Maine Medical Center (a member of the MaineHealth System) and the University of Vermont ( with the University of Vermont Health Network ), one participating institution, the University of Southern Maine, and two collaborating organizations, the Dartmouth SYNERGY Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Research Network (Dartmouth CO-OP). The Northeast has the largest percentage of residents over 65 years of age, and while NNE-CTR will support clinical and translational studies of all types, our efforts will emphasize health problems endemic in the rural populations of northern New England, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse, as well as the barriers that compromise rural health care delivery. The members of our proposed network have a long history of collaboration, providing a solid platform for the proposed network. To accomplish these goals, NNE-CTR proposes four specific aims: 1) improve the infrastructure and support for clinical and translational research in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; 2) increase translational and clinical research capacity and efficacy by establishing collaborative and synergistic transdisciplinary research partnerships among the NNE-CTR institutions, aided by a vigorous Pilot Projects program; 3) establish innovative training, mentoring and professional development programs to develop clinical and translational scientists at the NNE-CTR institutions; and 4) provide the infrastructure to support community practices and practice-based primary care research networks, particularly in rural areas, to engage clinical, community, public health and other stakeholders in the development and conduct of research relevant to the clinical and population health needs of northern New England. To achieve these aims, NNE-CTR will establish the following Key Component Activities: Administrative Core; Pilot Projects Program; Professional Development Core; Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Core; Rural Health Research and Delivery Core; Translational Research Technologies Core; and the Tracking and Evaluation Core. In summary, by developing the capabilities and resources required for research spanning the broad spectrum of clinical and translational science, the NNE- CTR will provide the platform for enhancing clinical research and health care delivery to support the unique needs of rural northern New England.
