The Foundations of Clinical Trials (FCT) Coordinators Certificate is a professional development certificate aimed at ECHO ISPCTN research coordinators and other clinical research team members. The certificate is structured around badges focused on increasing network research capacity in key areas selected by each coordinator based on their individual needs.

 

Who Should Take This Course?:

1. Non-network clinical trials research team members, both affiliated with ISPCTN research sites and unaffiliated clinical research professionals may find the professional development opportunities interesting and useful.
2. The FCT certificate is aimed toward clinical research team members, specifically those involved in the types of clinical trials engaged by the ISPCTN.

 

Course Content:

1. The FCT certificate reflects the Joint Task Force (JTF) expectations for clinical research professionals.
2. The framework encompasses 34 core competencies across 8 domains of knowledge/experience.

 

Course Format:

1. Using a laptop or computer, participants will watch a series of video presentations followed by brief quizzes in order to complete badges represented by each module of the FCT course.
2. Once they have completed the certificate requirements, they should receive an FCT certificate of completion that also lists the badges they have earned in completing the certificate.

 

Background Information - ECHO Cohort

The primary goal of the ECHO Cohort is to bring diverse participant populations together into one large ECHO Cohort so that ECHO investigators and the wider community of scientists can address research questions about effects of a broad range of early environmental exposures on child health and development, questions that no smaller study can answer alone. The ECHO Cohort follows children and their mothers (and some fathers) long-term. In most cases, it recruited participants prenatally.

 

Standardized Core Data Elements

ECHO Cohort Study Sites share standardized core data elements managed by a central coordinating center and an associated data analysis center. Although each study site is unique, the collection of data in a similar way ensures that all information can be combined and used by researchers. The core elements addressed across all sites are:

1. Demographics

1. Typical early health and development

1. Genetic influences on early childhood health and development

1. Environmental factors

The ECHO Cohort participant population includes children from diverse backgrounds across the United States, supports approaches that can evolve as science does, and takes advantage of technological advances.

As of June 2024, the ECHO Cohort has data from over 107,000 participants.

 

ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN)

ECHO ISPCTN helps address disparities in pediatric research by including children from rural or underserved populations in clinical trials, and by building pediatric research capacity in states with historically low NIH funding.

By conducting clinical trials focused in ECHO's five outcome areas, this 18-state network helps researchers gain knowledge that will enhance the health of children in IDeA states. Because ECHO ISPCTN includes a presence in rural and underserved areas, it is well-positioned to address health issues that disproportionately affect those communities. The network provides a broad scope of research not limited to a single population, specialty, condition, or age group.

ECHO ISPCTN also builds research capacity by strengthening an institution's ability to support biomedical research and enhancing the competitiveness of its investigators in securing future research funding.

 

---

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.