Overview
In addition to the traditional academic structure of the clinical departments, research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute is organized by scientific discipline. Our goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. We use two main organizational units to accomplish this goal: (i) Affinity Groups and (ii) Centers of Emphasis. Researchers throughout the Institution benefit from the services provided by the core facilities, which provide investigators with sophisticated research equipment, knowledgeable advisors and experienced support staff.
Affinity Groups
The Affinity Group concept supports the interdisciplinary nature of our cutting-edge research agenda. Investigators are grouped by scientific interest rather than traditional administrative structures. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute provides salary support for group leaders and funds seminars and seed programs.
Centers of Emphasis
Children's Hospital makes a significant investment in translational research. This investment includes the creation of eight Centers of Emphasis, established to target effort and resources to areas of research that will have the greatest impact on translating basic research findings to medical innovations.
These centers are directly linked to the strategic plan of the Children's Hospital and are charged with fulfilling the specific purpose called for in the plan. Center directors are senior leaders in the Institute and have responsibility for recruitment and space allocation.