The Trial Innovation Network (TIN), a collaborative initiative within the CTSA program, is currently accepting new proposals from investigators. The TIN vision is to address critical roadblocks in clinical research and accelerate the translation of novel interventions into life-saving therapies. The network leverages the expertise and resources of CTSA programs from across the country to encourage innovation, excellence and collaboration.
“It’s a resource we want our clinical researchers to know about,” said Laurie Trevino, who is the point of contact for the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) through Indiana University School of Medicine. “For multi-center studies, the TIN can help identify potential collaborators in locations across the country. These collaborators will have demonstrated, through feasibility data, that they have access to potential participants who meet the study criteria. The TIN can also help develop recruitment plans and materials and/or serve as the central Institutional Review Board.”
Other resources include standard agreements, community engagement and study design consultation. Investigators must be interested in having at least three trial sites in order to qualify.
“We’re really trying to help foster collaboration, because if you have more sites you’ll be able to recruit faster and complete the study faster,” said Trevino. “Researchers can also get access to a large amount of data through the network in multiple areas around the country.”
Optimal submissions to the TIN include opportunities to study innovative approaches to improve quality, efficiency or cost of clinical research. More information about the TIN is available on the website. Laurie Trevino (lhackwar@iu.edu) can answer any questions about the TIN and help with the application for TIN resources.
“We strongly encourage any investigator that is conducting or considering multi-site studies to use the resources of the TIN — the study or proposal is likely to benefit greatly,” said Scott Denne, MD, who is the director of the Indiana CTSI Translational Research Development Program.
