Clinical Trials Academy: Protocol Development Open for 2027 Class Applications

Clinical Trials Academy: Protocol Development (CTA 1) is open for applications for the 2027 class. CTA 1 began in the medical school in 2018 to train early-stage investigators in the rigorous design and conduct of clinical trials. It focuses on protocol development and the fundamentals of clinical trial design. Clinical Trials Academy 1 includes a behavioral track and is open to U-M scholars outside the medical school.

The biomedical (drug/device trials) and behavioral tracks will follow the same format and have overlapping presentations, but each track will also include lectures and mentorship specifically tailored for their type of trial. We welcome applications from researchers across campus who conduct clinical trials focused on biomedical and behavioral interventions.

CTA 1 is FREE for trainees and their departments. The course comprises a combination of lectures and hands-on small group sessions for early-career investigators as an introduction to 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 trials 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.

The lectures and hands-on sessions will occur in the afternoon on the third Thursday of each month from January through June 2027. These sessions will be a combination of 3-4 hours of lectures plus 1-2 hours of hands-on small group work with assigned faculty mentors and expert statisticians. Trainees in both tracks will attend lectures covering basic principles of drug/device and behavioral trials, and 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 the monthly sessions to enhance and solidify the training, and be able to complete their trial protocol by the end of the program. Attendance at all in-person and virtual sessions, and small group meetings, as well as the timely completion of all homework assignments, is mandatory for successful graduation.

Applicants should be ready to upload the following when submitting:

1) Letter of Support from the Division Director, Department Chair, or Associate Dean for Research outlining the candidate’s skills and qualifications. For faculty with clinical or teaching responsibilities, letters of support should also specify the division/department commitment to allow candidates to close 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 are also acceptable.

3) A clinical trial proposal including a specific aims page, as well as an outline and any other relevant information of the study that you plan to work on during the program (2-10 pages, not including references).

Applications can be completed at the Competition Space link here. The deadline is Friday, September 11, 2026.

If you would like more information regarding the Clinical Trials Academy 1, please contact [email protected].