VCU TRIAL INNOVATION NETWORK

The VCU Trial Innovation Network (TIN) is designed to support researchers conducting federally funded multi-site clinical studies.   As part of the nationwide Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Network, the TIN provides essential services to advance clinical and translational research through collaborative expertise.

Services Provided:

• Guidance for research teams on federal multisite trial design.
• Assistance with protocol development, operational feasibility, and site recruitment.
• Support for effective participant engagement and retention strategies.
• Facilitation of data management, biostatistics, and research analysis.

Collaborative Research Alignment:

Our liaison team provides personalized guidance to align your research goals with national CTSA initiatives. The team connects researchers with mentors and experts across various disciplines to enhance scientific collaboration and trial execution efficiency.

Contact Information:

To engage with the VCU Trial Innovation Network and learn more about the services available to your research team, please contact:

•  Email Shirley Helm: shirley.helm@vcuhealth.org
•  Phone: (804) 628-2942

We look forward to supporting your multisite research efforts.

• Find active clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov

View the list of TIN-participating institutions. 

To Submit a Proposal for TIN Resources & Services:

• Ensure the proposal meets the following qualifications:
• Federally funded, pending funding or submission for funding, or in development
• Multi-site
• Full-time VCU faculty
• All proposals must be submitted to the VCU TIN Liaison Team for review prior to applying to the national TIN for resources and services. Complete this intake form to submit the proposal and be connected with the VCU TIN Liaison Team.
• The VCU TIN Liaison Team will facilitate and provide guidance for national TIN proposal submission.

What is the Trial Innovation Network?

The Trial Innovation Network is a collaborative initiative within the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Services (NCATS) CTSA program that was created to address critical roadblocks in clinical trials and to accelerate the translation of novel interventions into life-saving therapies. The network focuses on operational innovation, excellence and collaboration, while leveraging the expertise and broad reach of the CTSA program. The TIN provides study investigators with a broad range of services and consultations to optimize clinical trials and studies. These services and consultations are designed to help investigators develop proposals into protocols, optimize study operations, and enhance recruitment and enrollment. Network features include a single institutional review board system, master contracting agreements, quality-by-design approaches, and a focus on evidence-based strategies to recruitment and patient engagement. The goal is not only to execute trials better, faster and more cost-efficiently, but also to be a national laboratory to study, understand and innovate the process of conducting clinical trials. VCU is a member of the Trial Innovation Network through it CTSA grant, administered by the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research (Wright Center).

Trial Innovation Network resources and services include:

• The Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC): an evidence-based center in innovative trial recruitment and retention methods, tools and strategies. The goal is to work with researchers to develop, test and share innovations in order to improve participant recruitment and retention and in doing so, improve health outcomes. In addition to initial consultations, the following four core resources are currently provided:
  • Community engagement studio
  • Recruitment planning and feasibility assessment
  • Recruitment materials
  • EHR-based cohort assessment
• Trial Innovation Centers (TIC) focus on operational excellence, operational innovation, and quality by design. The TICs are charged with coordinating and providing innovative, high quality operational support for Trial Innovation Network clinical trials.
• VCU TIN Agreements currently in place:
  • SMART IRB Authorization Agreement
  • IRB Reliance Exchange (IREx) Portal Agreement
  • FDP-CTSA Standard Agreement
  • TIN Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA)