The Great Plains is a vast, rural region with pockets of urban development. Some of our most vulnerable populations face geographic and social isolation, lacking access to primary and specialized care in both rural and underserved urban areas. With generous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a commitment to the motto that “together we are better”, the GP IDeA-CTR Network was formed to uphold the NIH’s nationwide effort to improve the health of all Americans, and to provide approaches to overcoming the issues endemic to our part of the country.

We are one of 13 IDeA-CTR networks in the U.S. IDeA-CTR grants are offered to enhance competitive clinical and translational research programs and foster collaboration within and across IDeA institutions. This goal can be accomplished through combined resources, increased focus on local health concerns, and improved research infrastructure in states where NIH grant success is low and where rural and underserved communities may exist.