CU School of Medicine receives $64 million NIH award to establish palliative care research consortium

CU School of Medicine receives $64 million NIH award to establish palliative care research consortium
University of Colorado School of Medicine press release; by Kara Mason; 8/7/25
The University of Colorado School of Medicine has been selected as the prime award institution for a [5-year] $64 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a consortium focused on palliative care research... “This consortium will serve as a springboard for filling gaps and offering resources to researchers who will ultimately improve the field,” says Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH, distinguished professor of medicine and chief academic officer of UCHealth, who will serve as a principal investigator of the Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan (ASCENT) Consortium... The consortium includes principal investigators from the CU School of Medicine and four other academic centers across the country - New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Duke University School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania... The ASCENT Consortium’s creation comes at a critical juncture for palliative care research, as two vital programs - the National Institute of Nursing Research-funded Palliative Care Research Cooperative, which Kutner led at the CU School of Medicine for 13 years, and the National Palliative Care Research Center - have been expected to sunset in 2025... “We've gone from publishing observational and cross-sectional work to where we are today with demonstrating effective and innovative interventions,” Kutner says.
Publisher's note: WOW - congratulations Jean and team! What a tremendous accomplishment building on decades of work! To receive information and updates from the ASCENT Consortium, click here.