We are pleased to announce that the NINDS Clinical Trials Methodology Course (CTMC) is accepting applications for the 2021 cohort. The overarching goal of the CTMC is to help investigators develop scientifically rigorous, yet practical clinical trial protocols. Our focus is on investigators who have not previously designed their own prospective, interventional clinical trials.
Course:
Due to the uncertainty and variations nationwide with the pandemic restrictions and vaccine availability the CTMC External Advisory Board and Course Directors decided that the 2021 Course will be virtual. The 2021 Course will begin late April through November, including an intense portion from July 19-22. Attendance is REQUIRED for the intense portion and the schedule will take into consideration the virtual format.
In addition, the 2021 cohort will have training opportunities in 2022 with ongoing support through mentorship. Since we anticipate being able to resume with in-person activities in 2022 the 2021 cohort will have the unique opportunity to attend the in-person residential portion of the Course in July 2022. This will allow for networking, peer review experience, and additional time and instruction with CTMC esteemed faculty. (More details will be provided late next year).
Who Should Apply?
Qualified applicants from clinical disciplines focused on neurological disease or injury (including, but not limited to pediatric and rare diseases), along with biostatisticians working on projects with clinical neuroscience researchers should apply. All preliminary trial ideas are encouraged, but it is REQUIRED that protocols be focused on the clinical neurosciences. Trainees should have content area mentors to assist them with the science and implementation of their project. A small number of projects may qualify for additional work using clinical trial simulation.
Application:
The link to the Application Instructions are here.
NOTE:
- The application submission portal is where your application materials will be submitted. The portal also includes demographic and professional background questions; a PDF of these can be viewed here.
- Please adhere to the page limits. You can make the references hyperlinks to save on space like this. Applications that go over the page limit typically can improve on focus and clarity.
- Please consider reviewing the following tutorial on Pilot and Feasibility studies - Thabane, Lehana, et al. "A tutorial on pilot studies: the what, why and how." BMC medical research methodology 10.1 (2010): 1.
DEADLINE:
The application submission deadline is February 28, 2021 at midnight, Pacific Time. Application forms and additional details are available on the course website: http://neurotrials.training. Early applications may be considered for early acceptance.
Have Questions?
Please contact NINDS‐CTMC‐Info@umich.edu or William Meurer, MD, MS with any questions.
Also please join the CTMC Q&A Webinar on January 19, 2021 at 12:00p EST where the Course Directors will answer all your questions. (This webinar will be recorded and posted to the CTMC website).
Webinar Link: https://umich-health.zoom.us/j/99996509479
Thank you.
The NINDS Clinical Trials Methodology Course is supported by the NIH‐NINDS grant R25 NS088248 and is administered by the University of Michigan, the University of Iowa, and Los Angeles BioMed. Additional support is provided by the American Academy of Neurology.