CTC Outreach
The CTC Outreach program aims to provide a sustainable national resource that fosters high-quality investigator-initiated clinical trials research in areas of public health importance. Outreach provides an access point for investigators to NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre expertise in:
- Concept development, funding applications and clinical trial protocols
- Biostatistics
- Clinical trials operations
- Database and forms design
- Randomisation and drug distribution systems
- Establishment of clinical trials support networks in new disease or therapeutic areas
Objectives
- Collaborate with established investigators on clinical trial research activities including concept development, funding applications, study conduct and reporting
- Provide support to less experienced investigators via Concept Development workshops
- Support courses in biostatistics methods and clinical trial operations
- Disseminate educational material on clinical trials via the Outreach website
- Consult on funded projects with opportunities for scientific input
- Ensure the program is sustainable by operating on a cost-recovery basis
Concept Development Workshops
Concept Development workshops are conducted on a regular basis and provide guidance on how to develop a rigorous and compelling clinical trial proposal, as well as further tips and hints on developing a competitive funding application and full study protocol. Further support and collaboration beyond the workshops may also be available with priority being given to proposals that are both feasible and likely to have an impact on clinical practice.
Contact us
Contact CTC Outreach via email to trials@ctc.usyd.edu.au.
About the CTC
The National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre (NHMRC CTC) conducts its own clinical trials as well as providing expertise and infrastructure for trials run by other groups. It also undertakes research aiming to improve the conduct of trials and the quality of the resulting clinical evidence.
Since 1988, when the CTC was set up as a research centre at the University of Sydney, over 60,000 patients have been randomised into its trials. Currently, around 40 active trials — in cancer, cardiovascular disease and neonatology — are being conducted in collaboration with networks of clinical investigators across Australia and elsewhere.
The CTC has played a leading role in establishing some of these investigator groups, most recently the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology and the Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group.
Trial investigators also participate in international collaborations to carry out prospective meta-analysis of data from current clinical trials. For example, the NeOProM collaboration has been formed by five cooperating trial groups, involving over 5000 patients, with leadership from the CTC. Developments such as this increase the efficiency of research and the validity of its findings, resulting in benefit to patients throughout the world.
The CTC also has strong links and partnerships with government and nongovernment organisations and industry. Projects include capacity building for ?ustralian health and research, reviews of evidence to assist government policy making, and methodological research. The CTC’s past research has served the Australian population well, particularly through reduced cardiovascular disease and deaths from heart disease and improved survival and better quality of life for patients with many types of cancer.
