Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC): Investigator Development Center
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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT End of life and palliative care (EOLPC) seeks to enhance quality of life for those with serious illness and their caregivers. The need for and delivery of EOLPC have far exceeded the research that provides evidence of best practices. Small, single-site trials, unrepresentative study cohorts, and studies lacking sufficient rigor hamper provision of high-quality EOLPC. While other fields have advanced their evidence through large, diverse, multi-site trials, EOLPC research has been impeded by an insufficient infrastructure and scientific workforce. The primary goals of this U2C application are to increase the productivity and impact of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC), its ability to facilitate the conduct of high-quality, effective clinical research, and to expand the number and expertise of palliative care researchers in conducting multi-site clinical trials. The PCRC strives to advance the science of EOLPC by providing investigators with the broad range of support necessary to conduct large scale, multi-site clinical trials and other research studies. This support includes training opportunities, pilot grant awards, access to a large, centralized repository of data from EOLPC studies, methodologic consultation, administrative coordination of research activities, and access to a large network of potential study enrollment sites. Structurally, the PCRC consists of six synergistic components, each led by a senior EOLPC researcher. The Project Coordinating Center coordinates overall administration of the PCRC. The Investigator Development Center builds the skills of EOLPC researchers. Four Cores provide methodological expertise: Data, Informatics, and Statistics; Measurement; Caregiver Research; and Clinical Studies/Methodology. The U2C PCRC application addresses Scientific, Operational, Capacity-building, and Collaborative Aims. By accomplishing these aims, the PCRC will expand its ability to support a robust community of interdisciplinary EOLPC researchers who address topics that guide the delivery of palliative care with an ultimate goal of improving the lives of patients with serious illness and their caregivers.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The primary goals of this U2C application are to increase the productivity and impact of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC), through facilitating the conduct of high-quality, effective clinical research, and expanding the number and expertise of palliative care researchers to conduct multi-site clinical trials. In pursuit of these overall goals and objectives, the Investigator Development Center (IDC), one of two Centers within the PCRC, strives to equip investigators in EOLPC research with the suite of tools necessary to create a robust evidence base for the care of individuals with serious, advanced illness. The specific aims of the IDC are: (1) to enhance the capacity of investigators at all stages to successfully conduct multi-site clinical research in the area of EOLPC science by (a) supporting research training and development through experiential and didactic instruction, (b) providing structured mentoring focused on principles of palliative care, methodological issues commonly encountered in EOLPC research, and translational research approaches, (c) administering the PCRC Pilot Projects Program, (d) providing clinical trials training and sustaining investigator engagement through Clinical Trials Intensives, and (e) providing specific training on the recruitment and retention of diverse and vulnerable populations; (2) to develop, evaluate and refine resources for EOLPC investigators at all levels in the conduct of clinical trials according to current clinical, ethical and regulatory standards by (a) collaborating with other PCRC Cores to enhance rigor among studies that consult the PCRC and promote consistent and coordinated investigator guidance from the Cores, (b) partnering with investigators from diverse disciplinary specialties and with relevant expertise to develop competencies for the conduct of high-quality, multi-site clinical studies in EOLPC, and (c) collaborating with national and international organizations on EOLPC research training and dissemination; (3) to promote research leadership by (a) enhancing mentoring skills through tailored, longitudinal mentor training, (b) partnering with the Project Coordinating Center (PCC) to equip PCRC members to serve as effective committee members and chairs, and (c) training investigators to plan research, manage teams, and execute projects; and (4) to build a research community by (a) expanding PCRC special interest groups and other research collaboration opportunities, and (b) regularly evaluating and tailoring IDC programs to meet the evolving needs of PCRC constituents. By achieving these aims, the IDC will increase the capacity of the EOLPC workforce to effectively conduct multi- site studies.
