Clinical Trials Units focus areas
Our network of core-funded Clinical Trials Units (CTUs) plays a key role in delivering against our strategic priorities set out in our clinical research statement of intent.
Collaboration across the network
At the start of each funding cycle, our clinical trial network agrees on key issues facing clinical research and what we can do to help address these issues.
During the current funding cycle (2023-2028), the network’s focus is on activities that will support the clinical research community across five areas, such as driving innovation and sustainability in trial design and ensuring effective sample collection and management. Our CTUs work towards these goals through collaboration with each other, our other funded infrastructure sites, and other organisations from the wider UK clinical research network.
Support delivery of our research strategy and wider objectives
Share learnings, leadership and best practice to design and deliver complex and innovative trials.
Include adaptive and inclusive research design to support high-quality data-rich sample collection and discovery research.
Drive innovation in the management and analysis of trial data and samples
Share experiences and drive innovations in processes, systems, integration strategies and methods.
Take a united approach to influence and drive access to affordable and efficient data.
Shape, sustain and build a diverse research workforce
Collaborate with other CTUs to streamline staff training and mentoring across the network.
Develop joint initiatives for researcher training and improve leadership skills for investigators.
Uncover barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion across our CTUs.
Proactively engage with UK researchers to develop a well-rounded cancer research community.
Drive innovation and sustainability in trial set-up and delivery
Collaborate to identify and address common areas of delay and ways to mitigate these.
Share best practices and develop innovative ways to deliver sustainable trials.
Ensure high quality patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) & equal access to patients across the UK
Share best practices, contribute to joint initiatives, and encourage international partners to embed PPIE in their research.
Develop strategies to ensure PPIE involvement in UK arms of international trials.
Work together to remove barriers and improve access to clinical trials in underserved populations across the UK.
More clinical research opportunities
We support a broad portfolio of clinical and translational research through initiatives including grant funding, training and investments in research facilities and resources.