Instructions: Please tailor this template to your project and be specific about how ITHS resources
will be used in your research. Detailed descriptions of individual ITHS facilities and services are
available on our website (www.iths.org) or at the end of this support letter template. Our
Research Navigator is available to provide you with personalized guidance to ITHS resources.
Please contact the Navigator at ithsnav@uw.edu.
Please allow at least 5 business days for your letter to be processed. Submit your draft to
ithsnav@uw.edu. We will return a signed PDF version of the letter to the contact e-mail you
provide.
All information that you submit via this Letter of Support will be managed in accordance with the
privacy and security policy for this website (www.iths.org). Full text of our policy can be found at:
www.iths.org/privacy.
DATE BY WHICH THE SIGNED LETTER IS [INSERT DATE]
NEEDED:
CONTACT INFO for letter delivery and [INSERT NAME, PHONE, EMAIL]
questions:
[INSERT ADDRESS THAT SHOULD APPEAR ON THE LETTER]
RE: [INSERT RFA #]
Dear [NAME OF ADDRESSEE],
As Associate Dean of Translational Science at the University of Washington School of Medicine and
Director for the Institute of Translational Health Sciences, I am pleased to write this letter in support of
your project, “[PROJECT TITLE].”
The Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) develops and maintains resources and educational
programs that support the spectrum of translational research activities. The ITHS is a partnership
between the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, and is funded by an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). The national
CTSA consortium is dedicated to improving human health by fostering translation of knowledge from
basic science to the clinic and community.
Should your project be funded, the ITHS could support your research by providing resources and
services. Among our programs are expert consultation in bioinformatics, biomedical statistics,
regulatory support and bioethics and community-based research programs; and specialized resources
such as therapeutic manufacturing, clinical genomics, patient rooms and research nursing. Our
Research Navigator is available to provide personalized guidance to these services and to our portfolio
of educational programs, funding opportunities and other research resources.
Described below are a few specific ITHS programs relevant to your research.
[INSERT RELEVANT ITHS RESOURCES HERE – SEE SAMPLE PARAGRAPHS AT THE END OF THIS TEMPLATE]
Access to some ITHS services requires approval by the Human Subjects Review Committee and the ITHS
Center for Scientific Review in addition to a unit specific resource allocation evaluation, at which time
you will be provided with a cost estimate. Other services may be available at a cost which may be
partially subsidized. All resource estimations are based upon availability, review and final approval from
ITHS administration.
We wish you success with your application and look forward to a fruitful collaboration.
Sincerely,
Mary L. (Nora) Disis, MD, FACP
Associate Dean, Translational Science, University of Washington School of Medicine
Professor, Medicine
Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Director, Institute of Translational Health Sciences
DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIFIC ITHS RESOURCES
Outlined below are some specific ITHS programs that are available to support your research. To ensure a
strong and specific letter, please only select resources applicable to your project and insert them into the
letter above. We encourage you to add a sentence or two about the relevance of the resource to your
proposed work, and to contact our Navigator at ITHSNav@uw.edu if you have any questions.
Clinical Resources Programs
Clinical Research Centers: The CRCs offer inpatient and outpatient nursing support for a wide variety of
therapeutic trials and clinical studies. The nursing staff is also able to collect and process blood or other
samples in the CRCs and provide short-term specimen storage and shipping of specimens to other
facilities or centralized banks. . The therapeutic manufacturing labs help develop gene and cell based
clinical products for therapeutic applications that is compliant with current Good Manufacturing
Practices (cGMP). Finally, the Bionutrition and Body Composition group offers expertise and specialized
facilities for feeding studies, diet-intake analysis, exercise studies and DXAs.
Regulatory Support and Bioethics: This group offers guidance and education in completing IRB and
other regulatory applications, developing or implementing data safety monitoring plans and developing
study related documents. It also offers bioethics consultations to address ethical concerns in research.
A pool of study coordinators is available as well.
Preclinical Support: The Preclinical Research and Development Network supports novel technologies
and methodologies through the early phases of development by consulting with basic researchers
seeking to develop their inventions for clinical testing. This group also advises on the content and
format of Investigational New Drug (IND) and Investigation Device Exemption (IDE) applications.
Tools and Technology Programs
Statistical Services: Statistical support from the ITHS is coordinated through the Center for Biomedical
Statistics (CBS). The CBS provides guidance regarding design and analysis options for study proposals for
Phase 1 through Phase 3 trials, and has experience in both animal research and clinical trials. The CBS
also provides expertise in conjunction with Biomedical Informatics to ensure timely and thorough data
collection, and quality assurance review.
Biomedical Informatics: The goal of the BMI is to facilitate sharing of data across all ITHS sites and core
functions. BMI assists with access to electronic health information across partner institutions. We are
also able to provide development of specific data capture forms, tools to facilitate clinicians’ access to
existing databases, and scalable approaches for interfacing to biological study data from multiple
sources that contribute to a patient’s chart.
Community Engagement and Regional Collaborations Program
Community Engagement: The ITHS is establishing collaborative pathways for community-based research
with communities that are diverse by race, ethnicity, culture, rural and urban locations, geography,
health status and health service delivery. These efforts are a partnership among the Group Health
Center for Health Studies, the UW SOM’s successful 5-state medical education program in the WWAMI
region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho), and several American Indian/Alaska Native
tribes.
Education Program
Please contact the ITHS Navigator to discuss the Educational Programs offered by the ITHS.