Clinical Trials Unit efficient studies projects
The NIHR Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Support Funding Scheme ended on 30 September 2023. Here you will find the CTU efficient studies projects, which were funded as part of the scheme to support developments in the design and delivery of efficient and innovative research.
Projects are shown by the year they were funded and we will update links to the final reports once these are available.
2022 projects
These are the reports from 2022 projects, along with their lead units:
- 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 projects
These are the reports from 2021 projects, along with their lead units:
- 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 projects
These are the reports from 2020 projects, along with their lead units:
- 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 CTU - Supporting the implementation of recruitment and retention SWATs
2019 projects
These are the reports from 2019 projects, along with their lead units:
- 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 projects
These are the reports from 2018 projects, along with their lead units:
- Sheffield CTRU - Updating the App SampSize for the Estimation of Sample Sizes for Clinical Trials - A Practical Adaptive Designs Toolkit
- Sheffield CTRU - A Practical Adaptive and Novel Designs Toolkit (PANDA)
- Liverpool TC - Adding value to Information Systems across CTUs
- 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
2017 projects
These are the reports from 2017 projects, along with their lead units:
- Liverpool Trials Collaborative - Making requests to NHS Digital Easier for Clinical Trials
- Pragmatic CTU - PROMiSE – Patient Reported Outcome MeasureS using Electronic informed consent and data capture: developing methods and infrastructure
- Southampton CTU - User-focused research to identify the benefits of innovative digital recruitment and retention tools for more efficient conduct of randomised trials
- Imperial CTU - Feasibility evaluation to implement a multi-centre RCT to evaluate a digital tool utilising routine electronic data collection in a Hospital setting
- Sheffield CTRU - Outcome Measures for Emergency Care after a Seizure (OMECS)
- Oxford NPEU - Using electronic health record or disease registry data for clinical trials - a framework practice
- Sheffield CTRU - The SampSize App to assist in the calculation of sample sizes for clinical trials
2016 projects
These are the reports from 2015 projects, along with their lead units:
- Bristol CTEU - Scope the CTUs' requirements for a system to manage the IMP and efficiently develop a secure web-based application to meet requirements in CTU-managed CTIMPs
- ICNARC - Inefficiencies in the current delivery of adult critical care research studies (randomised and non-randomised) from duplication of data collection burden and for retrospective data linkage
- Sheffield CTRU - Development of CONSORT guidance for adaptive clinical trials
- Leeds CTRU - Unlock the potential of international collaboration to provide efficient, faster delivery of patient benefit (International Trials Toolkit)
- Liverpool TC - Validation of statistical programming: developing efficient regulatory compliant best practice
- Nottingham CTU - Improve conduct & efficiency of trials with a standardised set of performance metrics for monitoring & reporting of site performance in trials (developing a standardised tool for presenting metrics)