Happy (almost) Fall Break!

We're already halfway through the semester, and I hear the saying a lot that "the days are long, but the years are short." That is so true! We hope the semester is going very well for you. If we can help with anything related to your research, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Please note the Indiana CTSI annual meeting will be held on November 21 in Indianapolis. The theme this year is diabetes. I'm confident that our researchers will be included in the day's events, just not sure who at this time. The annual meeting is a great opportunity to hear some interesting presentations and network with colleagues across the state. The meeting does not disappoint!

All the best for a great second half of the semester. If Fall Break takes you on travels for your research, safe travels.

Sincerely,

Melanie DeFord, Deputy Director and Assistant Vice President for Research
Jessica Brookshire, Notre Dame Co-Navigator of the Indiana CTSI
Prakash Nallathamby, Notre Dame Co-Navigator of the Indiana CTSI

Take a moment to explore our past newsletters and summits. At Indiana CTSI, we’re committed to uniting Indiana’s life sciences community to drive research forward and improve health across the state.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

via Zoom

On Wednesday, October 15, the Indiana CTSI will host a virtual multi-institutional mock study section where participants will gain first-hand experience of what it’s like to go through an NIH grant review process. The Indiana CTSI is hosting the event in collaboration with the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) has successfully hosted mock study sections for trainees and early career faculty at their annual conference for the past 10 years. This is the first time the Indiana CTSI will offer this training experience, according to Tammy Sajdyk, PhD.

In addition to UCF, several other institutions who were previously involved in the administration of the mock study section at ACTS will be involved in the event. These institutions include the North Carolina Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at the University of North Carolina; the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at the University of Minnesota; and the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation at Yale University.

This opportunity is geared towards pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty who are eligible to submit NIH or NIH equivalent grants. Previous grant submission is not a requirement.

“This is a great opportunity to learn about how grants are reviewed. It will ensure new investigators are better prepared for their first submission,” said Sajdyk, who is the Indiana CTSI navigator for the IU School of Medicine Indianapolis campus.

Prior to the event, each participant will be assigned a K- or R-level NIH grant to review. During the activity, they will take the role of an NIH study section reviewer and discuss their assigned grant with peers and experienced faculty.

There is no cost to participate in the mock study section. More information is available on the application form. Applications will be accepted until all slots are filled and then names will be placed on a waitlist.

Those with questions should reach out to Sajdyk at tsajdyk@iu.edu.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

12:00. – 1:00 p.m.

Regenstrief Institute Social Hub, 1101 West 10th Street Indianapolis, IN and via Zoom

This talk will explore the opportunities and challenges of using AI for qualitative data collection, transcription, thematic analysis, and mixed-methods studies. Case studies will compare manual and AI-assisted approaches to transcription and thematic analysis, highlight ethical considerations, and offer practical tips for critically evaluating AI outputs. The talk will offer perspective on how AI can accelerate-but not replace-some qualitative research approaches, the strengths and limitations of AI-assisted transcription and analysis, ethical and methodological challenges in using AI for qualitative work, and strategies for integrating AI into mixed-methods research. Whether you're a qualitative expert, a quantitative data scientist, or simply curious about the future of AI in research, this session will provide actionable insights and spark thoughtful discussion.

Friday, November 21, 2025

8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., followed by a reception from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m

Hine Hall Auditorium, 875 W North St, Indianapolis, IN (map)

Join us on November 21 to hear directly from leaders who are transforming our understanding of diabetes and how to treat it. We will celebrate and advance this legacy at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Indiana CTSI. The theme is “Moving the Needle: Treating Diabetes Together.”

Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. Twelve percent of Hoosiers have the disease. The burden is significant, and the problems are complex. But Indiana has a rich history of innovation in diabetes treatments, from Eli Lilly pioneering the commercial production of insulin in 1923 to groundbreaking research on new drugs, innovative technologies, and other interventions at the state’s premier research institutions.

During the meeting, we will be honored to present the 2025 August M. Watanabe Prize in Translational Research to Kevan Herold, MD, C.N.H. Long Professor of Immunobiology and of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

This year, we are meeting exclusively in person, with expanded opportunities for face-to-face collaboration and discussion. Please register by November 7 to secure your spot.

The Indiana CTSI Commercialization PDT is designed to provide early guidance to academic and clinical investigators interested in advancing their discoveries to the market. The programs are open to investigators from Indiana University (IU), Purdue University, or the University of Notre Dame; and includes a pool of advisors across these universities and industries around the state to provide investigators with a wide range of expertise and perspectives.

Submission Deadline: October 22, 2025

The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) T32 Postdoctoral Training Awards, funded in part by NCATS, are designed to provide promising postdoctoral fellows with the opportunity to be mentored in research-intensive multi-disciplinary settings toward the goal of developing careers across the spectrum of translational research.

Emphasis of the Indiana CTSI postdoctoral training awards in translational research is to move findings from basic laboratory and pre-clinical research (referred to as T1 research) toward the development of new treatment options or interventions or clinical trials (referred to as T2 research) to eventual dissemination or clinical implementation (referred to as T3 research) to studying population health outcomes and health metrics (referred to as T4 research). The phases of translational research may not necessarily be linear and can jump steps depending on the research project and the starting point. The goal of the Indiana CTSI is to make awards at all of these stages.

Funding for all postdoctoral training awards is for up to two years (with the 2nd year of funding contingent upon review and demonstration of satisfactory progress). Benefits include salary support as well as health insurance and research training related expenses.

Contact: ajzych@iu.edu

Submission Deadline: January 8, 2026

he Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute is seeking applications for K12 Early Career Investigator clinical – translational research proposals.

These awards are designed to provide promising early career faculty investigators the opportunity to be mentored in research-intensive, multi-disciplinary settings toward the goal of developing careers in clinical - translational research. Emphasis of the Indiana CTSI K12 Early Career Investigator Awards in Clinical - Translational Research are to move findings from basic laboratory and pre-clinical research toward the development of new treatment options or interventions or clinical trials to eventual dissemination or clinical implementation to studying population health outcomes and health metrics. The phases of translational research may not necessarily be linear and can jump steps depending on the research project and the starting point. The goal of the Indiana CTSI is to make awards at all of these stages. It is important that the clinical - translational research have clear applications to human disease and health outcomes.

Contact: ajzych@iu.edu

Submission Deadline: Rolling submission

Research Project Development Teams (PDTs) are groups of experienced senior faculty located on each of the Indiana CTSI campuses who will connect you with resources, collaboration opportunities, and small (typically up to $15,000) awards for preliminary or additional data. Each PDT is designed around a common research theme.

There are biostatisticians and regulatory experts on each team, and other experts are added as needed when you meet with the team to discuss your application. You will have access to the expertise and knowledge you need all in one place.

Contact: tsajdyk@iu.edu

Submission Deadline: October 30, 2025

Submission Deadline: December 15, 2025 and April 1, 2026

Deadline: November 3, 2025

ORA Submission Deadline: January 8, 2026

Full Submission Deadline (via WebCAMP): January 15, 2026

Submission Deadline: Rolling Submission

Letter of Intent Deadline: October 3, 2025

Submission Deadline: October 27, 2025

Rolling Submission

Rolling Submission

The Indiana CTSI has experts across a wide variety of fields and research areas of interest. Click the button below to have the latest research discoveries and developments making news and positively impacting health in Indiana delivered right to your inbox. 

The Indiana CTSI includes Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame as the major academic partners along with a number of other institutions and entities in the state.

It is funded by a Clinical and Translational Sciences Award from the National Institutes of Health amounting to some $38 million for the current seven-year funding period of 2023-2030. This funding is supplemented by additional support from many other institutional and corporate partners.

Funding is provided to researchers by many mechanisms to promote translational and collaborative research among the partner institutions.

For more information, please visit: indianactsi.org

If you have any questions about Indiana CTSI grants, programs, or upcoming events please feel free to reach out to co-navigators Jessica Brookshire or Prakash Nallathamby.