Leadership Partners Oklahoma IDeA Programs Impact Cite OSCTR Support

Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources

The Oklahoma Clinical and Translational Science Institute (OCTSI) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is the academic home of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

Overview of the OCTSI and OSCTR

Oklahoma consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of the 50 states for the health of its population. We have a high prevalence of arthritis, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders. We also have a high prevalence of pre-term pregnancies, preventable hospitalizations, and smoking. Contributing to this rank is that approximately 36% of our population lives in rural areas with limited access to routine health care and specialists. With this large percentage of rural and traditionally underserved Oklahomans, most of our population has not previously been involved in patient-oriented investigations, limiting access to novel therapies.

The Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resource (OSCTR) was formed to:

  • Serve as a catalyst to facilitate clinical and translational research
  • Improve health for underserved and underrepresented populations living in rural areas
  • Provide clinical and translational research training and infrastructure to junior investigators
  • Expand opportunities for IDeA states and communities to participate in clinical and translational research
  • Improve the overall health of our citizens

The OSCTR is funded by grant U54GM104938 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health. This grant provided $20.3 million from 2013 to 2018 to aid our efforts to improve the health of our population. It was successfully renewed in 2018 for an additional $20 million from 2018 to 2023.