Clinical/translational research can be separated into two components, T1 and T2. T1 research applies discoveries generated during preclinical laboratory research to the development of clinical efficacy trials in humans, leading up to the submission of a New Drug Application or an amended New Drug Application claiming new uses of an approved medication. The second component of translation research, T2, is aimed at developing and identifying actions, interventions, or practices that enhance the effectiveness of approved agents in the larger population. The delivery of effective treatments through the implementation and evaluation of best practice guidelines within practice settings is another component of T2 research, but some authors have broken this aspect of patient care and practice into a subcategory of T2 research or simply labeled it as T3 research.1,2 Clinical and/or translational research are not new areas of research, but their importance in improving the public's health was heightened with the introduction of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap programs and by the Roadmap's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program which aims to consolidate a number of NIH clinical research and training programs at the nation's Academic Health Centers (AHCs).3,4 A primary requirement for a successful CTSA program is the demonstration of involvement of several health professions colleges/schools that are either members of the submitting institution's AHCs or from a medical school and health professions programs at another institution. A number of the successful CTSA applications have significant involvement of colleges/schools of pharmacy
