Alpha.gov.uk is an experimental prototype of a single website for UK Government, designed to use “open, agile, multi-disciplinary product development techniques and technologies, shaped by an obsession with meeting user needs. ”
The home page consists of a gigantic search feature, a short list of most popular tools and topics with a “browse more” link, latest news, and a well-below-the-fold menu of governmental categories.
Another potential model for a portal that doesn’t overwhelm users. If they can do it for the UK government, surely we can do it for research resources at UCSF!
Take a look at the minimal feedback tool (interior pages).
BioMed 2.0 
Great site! (And I like the feedback tool.)
This might be a great model for a comprehensive research portal. I love the clear, minimal text on inside pages, and rather clear multi-page content templates. The examples and live search suggestions do a good job of reassuring users that they’re at the right place. What’s interesting about a national government is that end-users know that they they need something from the government, but not necessarily from where; this is different from the current CTSI site, which lists many, but not all, research resources, meaning users have no reason to trust that the site will serve their needs. (Hopefully we’ll see that change in the future.)
100% agreed! This is a great example, and I could easily see a page like this as a point of transition between the new organizational CTSI website that we’re working on and the existing research portal for clinical and translational research.
Have you seen the new Utah state website?
That’s quite a web site. I see they even have live 24/7/365 support.