490 Integrated clinical and research ensemble program: A team science-based approach to optimizing collaboration, innovation, productivity, and cost savings while utilizing a novel funding mechanism

Objectives/Goals: In 2019, we began a novel team-science based research program aimed at producing more clinically relevant and practical patient-focused solutions, more quickly and efficiently. Methods/Study Population: We created a novel funding opportunity requiring broad multidisciplinary team participation, including patients, community members, and health system representatives. Inclusion of these non-traditional team members was required to help transcend long-standing research silos. Teams collaborated using team science principles. Successful teams were awarded a 50K “line of credit, ” limited to pre-approved expenditures for supplies, services, and staff – no salary support for research faculty. Teams were granted project manager support. Grant budgets were not required, and there were no project end dates. We tracked several research metrics to determine if this less restrictive funding mechanism led to more collaboration, efficiency, innovation, and productivity. Results/Anticipated Results: From 2019 to 2024, 68 teams submitted proposals, and 29 teams were approved to receive a line of credit. Collectively, these teams submitted 43 extramural and intramural grant applications; of these, 11 applications were awarded, totaling 15M. The average time to first grant submission for teams was 20. 4 months, and the average time to first grant award start date was 33. 8 months. The teams produced 69 total peer-reviewed publications, with an average time to first publication of 15. 6 months. A comparison of publication rates found that team members, on average, experienced a 72% increase in monthly publication rates after teams were formed and funded. An analysis of output (return on investment) found that every dollar invested in these funded teams delivered 21 in new grant funding. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This novel funding mechanism, created at the Clinical and Translation Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin, may facilitate increased productivity, conservation of research dollars, and broader multidisciplinary collaboration that leads to practical, effective, real-world patient solutions. Continued analysis of outcomes is planned.