Applications Open: 2026 Cohort of Clinical Trials Academy: Protocol Development (CTA1)

Clinical Trials Academy: Protocol Development (CTA1) offers early-career faculty and new clinician investigators a combination of lectures and hands-on small-group sessions to teach the complex and changing landscape of clinical and behavioral trials.

The curriculum is designed to construct the most pertinent hypotheses, teach the fundamentals of clinical trial design, and develop scientifically rigorous and practical protocols for a broad landscape of clinical trials. Trainees will also receive practical tips for successful collaborations among investigators with complementary expertise across divisions and departments, and industry partners. CTA1 is free for trainees and departments.

2026 Cohort Information

• Duration: January 2026 – June 2026
• When: Afternoon on the third Thursday of each month
• Time Commitment: 2-3 hours of lectures, plus 2 hours of hands-on small group work with assigned faculty mentors and expert statisticians.

Course Content:

Trainees in both tracks will attend lectures covering basic principles of clinical and behavioral trials together and then break out for lectures specific to each track. Trainees are expected to work on their protocols throughout the entire duration of the academy, meet with their respective faculty mentors and statisticians between these sessions to enhance and solidify the training, and be able to complete their trial protocol by the end of the program.

Attendance for all in-person and virtual sessions, small group meetings, as well as the timely completion of all homework assignments, is mandatory for successful graduation.

To Apply:

Each application should contain the following:

1. Letter of Support from the Division Chief/Department Chair/Associate Dean for Research outlining the candidate’s skills and qualifications. For faculty with clinical responsibilities, letters of support should also specify the division/department commitment to allow candidates to close clinical activities one afternoon a month for the duration of the academy and have enough additional time to finalize all homework and assignments as outlined above.
2. NIH Biosketch preferred. NSF Biosketch and Curriculum Vitae also acceptable.
3. A clinical trial proposal including the main scientific question and its significance, and an outline of the study that they plan to work on during the program (No more than 5 pages including references)
4. Please indicate your preference for which track you are applying to attend (drug and device trials or behavioral trials) and a brief rationale. Our team reserves the right to place you in the track that is considered most appropriate based on your proposed study. Note that content of both tracks, including reading materials and lecture slides, will be available to all trainees.

Applications can be submitted via email to [email protected] with the subject line 2025 CTA1: Protocol Development Application.

Deadline to Apply: October 10, 2025

For questions, contact Johanna Carroll ([email protected]), Project Coordinator.