$1.5M NIH Grant Fosters Clinical Research Training at UIC

The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance clinical research training and career development to improve public health.

UIC’s colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, dentistry and applied health sciences have collaborated with the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago to develop a comprehensive program to train clinical researchers.

Clinicians -- primarily post-doctoral or post-residency fellows and junior faculty -- will learn the fundamentals of biostatistics, epidemiology, study design, bioethics, cost effectiveness analysis, and grant writing.

"Several years ago the NIH recognized there was a chronic shortage of individuals doing clinical research and no coherent training programs to develop the skills needed to be successful," said Jack Zwanziger, professor of health policy and administration in the UIC School of Public Health. "Our goal is to train a new generation of clinical investigators at UIC."

Prior to the NIH initiative, clinical researchers often acquired their skills on the job, with little formal training.

Students will complete on-line and classroom coursework, attend workshops and seminars, and complete a mentored research project. They will receive a Master of Science from the UIC School of Public Health after completing the two-year program.

"The goal of the program is to prepare trainees to effectively interact with all disciplines complementary to clinical research," said Zwanziger. "Students will not be experts in biostatistics or survey research, but they will have a good understanding of all the tools and concepts required to become leaders in clinical research."

- UIC -