Feb. 18, 2015 | The UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) recently received a $25,000 Chancellor’s Circle Award that will support a campaign to recruit research participants.
The award was one of 11 announced by UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D., at a Feb. 6 ceremony at the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. It was presented by William E. Clark II, a long-time UAMS supporter who serves on the Foundation Fund Board as executive vice chair and as a member of the Chancellor’s Circle. The award was accepted by Cornelia Beck, Ph.D., R.N., associate director of TRI and co-principal investigator of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), which supports the work of TRI. The CTSA is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
“The NIH considers clinical trials the gold standard for assessing the effectiveness of new drugs, devices, diagnostic products, and treatments. Unfortunately, clinical trial recruitment is in crisis,” Rahn said when he announced the award. “Less than 5 percent of all eligible adult patients are enrolled in studies, which is contributing to delays in more than 90 percent of clinical trials.”
He said TRI is helping address this problem with many new communications efforts, including its plans for a new website that will provide lay language information about the benefits of participating in clinical research, demystify research for the general public, and ultimately increase participation in clinical research.
The Chancellor’s Circle received 55 funding priorities, and 11 grants were awarded totaling $325,000.
The Chancellor’s Circle was formed 31 years ago by the Foundation Fund Board to recognize donors who support programs across all areas of UAMS through annual unrestricted contributions. Chancellor’s Circle members provide about $350,000 annually in discretionary funds that allow UAMS to provide additional support of its missions of education, research and patient care.