Letter From the JCTS Editor: Summertime

Lars Berglund, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS)

We are now in the midst of summer in a month when many of us are taking some time off. It certainly has been a summer for the ages so far with a collection of “one in a century” events, ranging from unprecedented flooding in many places, including Vermont and Canada, to damaging windstorms in the Midwest and South to the Canadian wildfires and the enormous firestorm on Maui. I suspect that many of us have visited Maui and have fond memories of “beautiful Lahaina” as it was called, including its famous banyan tree. Not only was this a beautiful town, but it was steeped in rich history going back to the Hawaiian kingdom when it served as capital for a period of time and was an important trading and whaling port. It is incomprehensible to see the images of destruction and our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected. In its totality, this summer may offer a teaching moment and perhaps represent a tipping point in the mind of people as we realize that all of us could experience these types of events. It was interesting to note the recent lawsuit in Montana brought by a youth group regarding their right to a healthy life. Whatever the outcome might be, it does represent a signal of the growing concern of the next generation for their future and for that of the planet. As is written on a t-shirt I recently got from AAAS, “Good planets are hard to find.” 

In spite of the summer, it is a very good sign that we remain busy with the business of JCTS. The first half year represented a record number of submissions and we are in the process of finalizing several thematic issues where we received many contributions. We expect several of these to be presented on our web site in the fall.  At this point there are three thematic issues open for submissions. Although we have received a robust response to our call for papers addressing The Integration of Social Determinants of Health with Clinical and Translational Science, in appreciation of the level of interest we extended the timeline to the end of the year. We look forward to additional submissions addressing this timely and important issue. The thematic issue on COVID-19 Therapeutic Platform Trials Lessons Learned remains open although the formal deadline has passed. Recently we launched an issue on Advancing Understanding and Use of Impact Measures in Implementation Science. The call has a deadline of February 2024 and we look forward to submissions responding to the call.

I also want to assure everyone that JCTS is very interested in a broad portfolio of subjects representing the full spectrum of clinical and translational science. The majority of our submissions represent subjects outside of thematic issues and we hope to serve as a “go to” journal for our clinical and translational science colleagues. In spite of the increasing number of submissions, we are pleased that we have been able to maintain the timeline for response. We know and appreciate the pressure all our colleagues are under with regard to productivity demands as well as to the urgency of providing novel research findings to advance health. Our goal is to provide as timely and helpful feedback as possible, and we remain very grateful to our Editorial Board and our many reviewers who take their valuable time to offer their expert help and advice. We look forward to continuing to be of service and to an exciting and interesting fall season.

Translational Science 2024: Call for Scientific Sessions and Abstract Proposals Now Open!

The Translational Science 2024 call for scientific sessions and abstract proposals is now open! Information and submission guidelines can be found here. Please note, if accepted for a poster submission and/or session, you must attend in person in Las Vegas to present.

• Scientific Sessions: 60-minute concurrent scientific programming sessions organized as you wish and described in your session proposal.
• Posters: research based posters eligible for a short oral platform presentation or poster presentation and published in JCTS.

For any questions please contact ACTS.

Upcoming Meeting of the Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee

On August 29, 2023, from 2:00- 4:30 PM ET, NIH will be hosting a virtual meeting of the Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee (NExTRAC). This meeting will include presentation, discussion, and possible finalization of a draft report prepared by the Data Science and Emerging Technology Working Group. The Working Group was previously tasked with identifying research questions that rely on novel types and uses of data, and to explore implications of this research for stakeholders. In addition, the meeting will include discussion of next steps for the Committee. A draft agenda, webcast information, details on how to sign up to make oral comments or submit written comments, and other meeting materials can be found on the meeting page of the OSP Website.

If you have any questions, please contact us at SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov. You can also follow the NIH Office of Science Policy on Twitter: @NIH_OSP

ACTS Career Center

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