Ever wonder why it takes years for a promising lab discovery to become a treatment you can actually use? That’s where translational research comes in; it focuses on moving one discovery, like a new cancer drug, from the lab to the clinic.
Translational science looks at the bigger picture. Instead of focusing on one disease, it studies how to make the entire process of turning discoveries into real-world health solutions faster and smoother. Think of it as improving the highway system for research, so every breakthrough can reach patients sooner.
The faster discoveries move into practice the sooner patients benefit. But research institutions often struggle to build the systems and programs needed to support this work. That’s why Duke University researchers created a new roadmap to help.
Introducing T-SPARC
A paper in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science by Jessica Sperling, PhD, and colleagues at Duke University introduces the Translational Science Promotion and Research Capacity (T-SPARC) Framework. This framework helps organizations figure out what steps to take to strengthen their ability to support translational science.
T-SPARC focuses on three big questions:
- Where can programs make a difference? (organizational levels)
- What actions help? (strategies and activities)
- What does success look like? (changes in attitudes, behaviors, and practices —including advancements in dissemination and implementation, research infrastructure, regulatory processes, methodology, and team processes).
“By focusing on capacity-building, T-SPARC moves beyond defining translational science to enabling practical steps that reduce barriers in the research process,” said Sperling, who leads the Evaluation, Improvement, and Impact area of Duke’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), as well as Applied Research, Evaluation, & Engagement at Duke’s Social Science Research Institute.
How was it developed?
The framework was created by nine members of Duke’s CTSI, who saw the need to build stronger support for translational science at Duke.
Examples of what they recommend include:
- Providing dedicated funding for translational science projects
- Offering educational programs to explain how translational science differs from translational research
This isn’t just academic. By improving the process behind research, T-SPARC aims to speed up the journey from discovery to health impact, so patients and communities benefit sooner.