Funding News - NINDS Invites Applications for Clinical Trial Planning Grants

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for clinical trial planning grants.*

The purpose of the clinical trial planning grant is to support the organization of the elements necessary for the successful implementation of high-risk, complex, or large-scale clinical trials. This initiative is intended to (a) allow for early peer review of the rationale and design of the proposed clinical trial; (b) provide support for the development of a detailed manual of operations and procedures; and (c) provide support to develop essential elements of a clinical trial. This announcement is not intended to obtain preliminary data or to conduct pilot studies to support the rationale for the clinical trial.

NINDS encourages high-quality clinical research to evaluate interventions to treat and prevent neurological disorders. NINDS has established the clinical trial planning grant because extensive efforts are required to develop a detailed study protocol and to organize an effective research group. After the basic design and rationale for a neurological treatment trial has been reviewed, the clinical trial planning grant supports the development of specific elements which will be essential for conducting a successful full-scale clinical trial, including adequate plans for recruitment of patients, experimental design and protocols, data management, analytical techniques, facilities, administrative procedures, and collaborative arrangements.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. John Marler, Associate Director for Clinical Trials, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2216, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9135; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: jm137f@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-051.html.