Interested in Conducting Clinical Research?

Launching and conducting a clinical research study might seem like a daunting prospect. For many NIH- and NIDCR-funded clinical researchers, this includes obtaining funding, navigating policies and regulations, and ensuring appropriate staff training for conducting safe, high-quality research that produces reliable results. NIDCR aims to ease this process by offering investigators a suite of resources and guidance to meet its oversight requirements and good clinical practice standards through the lifecycle of a clinical research study, from planning through study close-out and dissemination of results. These resources can also be integrated into education curricula to help the next generation of scientists learn about the full process of clinical research.

Here is an overview of what you’ll find in our Conducting NIDCR Clinical Research pages:

• A step-by-step guide to the stages of conducting clinical research and the resources provided by NIDCR. At each stage, you’ll find downloadable tools and templates to get you started.
• A description of the various types of oversight NIDCR may use, depending on the risk to human subjects and the complexity of the study
• A breakdown of NIH and NIDCR policies and expectations, including in-depth explanations of NIDCR’s Clinical Terms of Award, NIH scientific data-sharing policies and other expectations for dissemination of results, and accrual and retention monitoring expectations
• An introduction to the NIDCR Clinical Research Management System, a custom-built system for NIDCR-funded study teams to electronically submit accrual and retention plans and reports
• An A-Z listing of all downloadable tools and templates needed for documentation and reporting throughout the study lifecycle
• A list of NIH training and career development opportunities on how to effectively and safely conduct clinical research. Trainings include courses and programs in biostatistical and epidemiological methods, study design, protocol preparation, patient monitoring, quality assurance, ethical and legal issues, Good Clinical Practice guidelines, and much more.
• A collection of frequently asked questions and answers to help researchers understand the activities and expectations of conducting NIDCR-supported clinical research

By demystifying and streamlining the clinical oversight process, these resources can help ensure that your NIDCR-funded clinical research meets the highest standards for safety, quality, and integrity.

If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to our Office of Clinical Trials Operations and Management at NIDCR-OCTOM@nidcr.nih.gov.

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