Letter From the JCTS Editor: Reaching a Milestone

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

This month represents a significant advancement for JCTS as well as for ACTS. JCTS is listed among journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and we have now for the first time received an impact factor (2.6) which was higher than anticipated. The number is based on the number of citations given in 2022 for papers published in 2020 in relation to the number of citable publications in 2020 and 2021. Among our peer journals, JCTS ranked 17 out of 53 among ESCI journals. The achievement is an indication of the rapid growth of the journal as well as of the high quality and broad interest in the articles published. Many thanks are clearly in order. First of all, we want to express our appreciation of our colleagues who are submitting papers to JCTS and for the trust they have placed in our Editorial Board and our many reviewers. We also are deeply grateful to the latter as they work hard to provide high quality feedback and are mindful of the time pressure the submitting authors are experiencing. I also want to thank the ACTS Board and the administrative staff for all their encouragement and support in promoting the work published in JCTS. We also have a very productive partnership with our publisher, Cambridge University Press, and they have been very active in guiding us in reaching this milestone. Building on this milestone, we look forward to continue to serve the clinical and translational science community and to highlight critically important issues. As we all know well, there is no shortage of such issues in the world we live in. 

While July is not the month of Thanksgiving, it is nevertheless a time to thank another set of colleagues. The two-year term for one of our junior editor groups is ending and we want to thank the group (Ayham Alkhachroum, Kelly Gleason, Andrew Knighton, Amy Lo, Rocio Norman, Roy Poblete, and Laneisha Tague) for their many contributions and their strong support of JCTS during their term. Collectively, they have provided many insightful reviews, contributed to the journal as authors and provided services to ACTS. We hope that this has been a fruitful and worthwhile experience and we thank their mentors and their institutions for making them aware of the opportunity to be a junior editor. We have now received a number of applications for the next set of junior editors and expect to announce a new cadre shortly.

We want to remind everyone that JCTS is fully open during the summer and we will be working hard to respond in an expeditious way to every submission and inquiry sent to us. At present there are several thematic issues open for submissions (Integration of Social Determinants of Health with Clinical and Translational Science and COVID-19 Therapeutic Platform Trials Lessons Learned). We extended the timeline for the former and will as usual be very flexible with regard to any late submissions. Shortly, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, we will also be launching another opportunity for a thematic issue focused on Advancing Understanding and Use of Impact Measures in Implementation Science. This call, with a deadline of February 15, 2024, builds on the previous JCTS thematic issue on Implementation Science and will focus on applying impact measures in implementation studies, including how the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM), developed as part of the CTSA program, is being incorporated into implementation science, in particular, how TSBM is being used to study or demonstrate downstream health and social impacts of implementation science scholarship. We look forward to receiving submissions to all these thematic issues as well as submissions related to all aspects of clinical and translational science. In this positive vein, we wish all of you a continued relaxing summer.

News from the Hill

Heading into the August congressional recess, all eyes in the political world are on the U.S. Senate. Currently, the Senate Appropriations Committee is planning to mark up Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 spending bills for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and a few others. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee is advancing work on Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform, which is quickly becoming a vehicle for other health and patient care policy items. Similarly, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is working on a reauthorization of the Pandemic All Hazards Preparedness and Response Act and pulling in additional items related to medical research and patient care.

Read more on the ACTS Advocacy page here.

Call for Manuscripts: Social Determinants of Health 

DEADLINE EXTENDED! 
NEW DEADLINE: DECEMBER 31, 2023

Submit your manuscript to the special themed issue of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science entitled Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). This themed issue will focus on studies that address social determinants of health (SDoH) in clinical and translational science. The goal is to assemble a set of manuscripts that highlight the integration of SDoH with clinical and translation science to understand the role of SDoH in health disparities and to develop SDoH-based intervention strategies to mitigate identified disparities, ultimately improving equity in health care and health outcomes.  

The deadline for submission is December 31, 2023. For more information, see the full call for manuscripts here.

NIH Seeks Input on Challenges and Opportunities for the Further Development and Use of Novel Alternative Methods  

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public input on challenges and opportunities for the further development and use of novel alternative methods (NAMs) in biomedical research. Input received from this request will inform the NIH and the development of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD)’s recommendations on high-priority areas for future investment in NAMs. Comments on the Request for Information must be submitted by August 16, 2023 through the online comment portal found at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/request-for-information-rfi-catalyzing-the-development-and-use-of-novel-alternative-methods-to-advance-biomedical-research. The ACD Working Group on Novel Alternative Methods will also be hosting an expert workshop on August 21, 2023. The agenda for this meeting along with videocast information will be posted to the OSP website later this summer. 

For additional context on the NAMs issue, please see the latest Under the Poliscope blog here. Questions may be sent to SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov. Please consider following the NIH OSP on Twitter @NIH_OSP.

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 issues of the 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 2024 -- Save the Date! 

ACTS and its partners are looking forward to connecting in Las Vegas, NV for Translational Science 2024, taking place April 3-5, 2024. Additional details, including information on abstract and scientific programming submissions, as well as registration, will be available in the coming months.

Special Interest Groups

ACTS offers its members the opportunity to participate in Special Interest Groups (SIGs) related to the field of clinical research and translational science. SIGs connect individuals who share similar goals and interests, providing a channel to network and participate in knowledge and resource sharing among peers.

Translational Science Today

Institute for Clinical and Translational Science Fall Seminar: Career Development and Funding -- This  seminar from the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science is designed for fellows and new faculty to boost basic skills in career development and obtaining funding.

Read More