The NIHR is keen to see the design, development and delivery of more efficient, faster, innovative studies to provide robust evidence to inform clinical practice and policy.
The NIHR offered additional funding for CTUs (funded via the NIHR CTU Support Funding scheme) to support developments in the design and delivery of efficient and innovative research.
Funding rounds have been held annually since 2016 with further funding opportunities to be considered. The tables below list the projects funded.
2022
| Lead Unit | Project title |
|---|---|
| Bristol TC | Development and validation of an online version of a new generic modular resource-use measure for RCTs |
| Leeds CTRU | IDEAL-S: Statistical Development of the IDEAL Framework |
| Leeds CTRU | An online resource to guide trialists, research staff and patient contributors in how best to prepare for and manage clinical trial participation changes |
| Newcastle CTU | ROBust INterims for adaptive designs (ROBIN): developing best practice for high-quality and speedy interim analyses in Phase II-IV trials |
| Nottingham CTU | Flourishing As Clinical Trial Staff (FACTS) |
| OCTRU | EXPLAIN initiative |
| Pragmatic CTRU | Development of Resources to promote best practice for the Analysis of Harm outcomes in RCTs (DoRAH) |
| York TU | Supporting, developing and coordinating the Trial Forge SWAT Network |
2021
| Lead Unit | Project title |
|---|---|
| Norwich CTU | The development of guidance to implementing e-consent in REDCap and other similar Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems |
| Liverpool CTC | Development and prototype testing of a method to quantify the carbon footprint of current clinical trials to inform future lower carbon clinical trials design |
| Sheffield CTRU | Recording HArms in Behavioural change Intervention Trials (RHABIT) |
| Pragmatic CTU | Promoting INCLUsivity through improving the practice and anD utility of Ethnicity Data collection in trials (INCLUDED) |
| Nottingham CTU | REcruitment in Mental health trials; broadening the 'net', opportunities for INclusivity through online methoDs (RE-MIND study) |
| Norwich CTU | Screening LOg Guidelines (SLOG): A standardised model for screening data: who should be included and which data should be collected? |
| Sheffield CTRU | A collaborative study between CTU's to identify the activity and resource needed to improve representation of of under-served groups in trials |
| OCTRU | Participant Information PortalS - The PIPS Initiative |
| Keele CTU | A WebApp for Sample Size calculation and evaluation of PROGRESSion criteria in pilot and feasibility studies (SS-Progress) |
2020
| Lead unit | Project title |
|---|---|
| Bristol TC (1) | Development of an electronic study management system |
| Bristol TC (2) | "How to run a good Trial Steering Committee”: an online workshop for TSC Chairs of new trials |
| Leeds CTRU | Developing and piloting a template communication to improve information and help elicit preferences in people who stop trial participation early |
| Norwich CTU (2) | Automated record linkage to support the efficient use of pseudonymised routine health record data in clinical trials |
| Nottingham CTU | Blinding of the trial statistician in clinical trials |
| Sheffield CTRU | Learning from COVID-19 related trial adaptations to inform efficient trial design - a sequential mixed methods study |
| York TU | Supporting the implementation of recruitment and retention SWATs |
2019
| Lead unit | Project title |
|---|---|
| Birmingham CTU | Development of Guidance for Statistical Analysis Plans for Early Phase Clinical Trials |
| Newcastle CTU | Costing Adaptive Trials (CAT): developing best practice costing guidance for CTUs supporting adaptive trials |
| Southampton CTU | Presenting the evidence about digital tools for improving RCT recruitment and retention in online training packages to increase their uptake and the evidence base |
| Sheffield CTRU | Value-based Adaptive Clinical Trial Designs for Efficient Delivery of NIHR Research |
| Liverpool CTC | Implementing CDSIC standards into CTUs to increase efficiency and allow improvements for data sharing |
| Liverpool CTC | Trial Activity Attributions and costs in Clinical Trials Units |
| Manchester CTU | REDCap Cloud adoption and implementation toolkit |
| Keele CTU | Supporting Effective and Efficient Initiation and Delivery of Individual Participant Data Meta-analyses (SEED: IPD Meta-analysis) |
2018
| Lead unit | Project title |
|---|---|
| Sheffield CTRU |
Updating the App SampSize for the Estimation of Sample Sizes for Clinical Trials
A Practical Adaptive Designs Toolkit
|
| Liverpool TC | |
| Liverpool TC | The UK IBD Registry as a platform to support an efficient randomised clinical trial of e-Health interventions to enhance the monitoring of long term biological therapy |
| Bristol Collaboration | Feasibility of an efficient study of surgical management of pressure ulcers |
| Leeds CTRU | GSP: Good Statistical Practice (GCP for Statisticians) |
| Birmingham CTU | Developing Expertise of CTU Staff through Massive Online Resource (MOOC's) |
| Cambridge CTU | Eudract Safety Data Input Software Tool |