CC Offers Clinical Research Certificate

"The Clinical Center now offers a clinical research curriculum certificate to those engaged in, or intending to become engaged in, clinical or translational research. Clinical fellows, senior physicians, staff clinicians, investigators, dentists and allied health care professionals who successfully complete the curriculum components will earn the certificate.

"To the best of our knowledge, there is no formal mechanism elsewhere, short of obtaining a master's degree in clinical research, where all of the core components are taught," said Dr. Frederick Ognibene, director, Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, Clinical Center.

NIAID's Dr. Linda Griffith receives the clinical research curriculum certificate from Dr. Frederick Ognibene (l), director, Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, Clinical Center, and Dr. John Gallin, CC director.

Course work covers principles and practices of clinical research and the ethical and regulatory aspects of human subjects research. To gain the certificate, enrollees must also have had experience in research protocol development, including a practical understanding of institutional review boards. Supplemental or elective components in the program include the Principles of Clinical Pharmacology course, successful completion of a Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences course in statistics or epidemiology and completion of an NIH institute- or center-based program in clinical research.

The certificate program is proposed as an elective, not mandatory, curriculum for clinical fellows; however, all are encouraged to complete it and obtain a certificate. Completion of all four mandatory components will lead to a certificate. If the mandatory components, plus one or more of the elective components are completed, then a certificate will be awarded "with commendation."

For more information call (301) 496-9425 or visit http://intranet.cc.nih.gov/clinicalresearchtraining/.