What is the the Network-Based Research Unit (NBRU)?

The Network-Based Research Unit (NBRU) is a singular unit within MICHR that facilitates health-related network-based research for the University of Michigan. The Unit assists investigators, industry, and patient communities, in linking to and designing studies that utilize large-scale research consortia.

Opportunities provided by NBRU include:

  • Cutting-edge resources for rapid conduct of clinical trials

  • Potential for rapid discovery

  • Study of rare diseases

  • Pragmatic trials

  • National resources access for local investigators

  • Patient and community engagement

NBRU maintains the informatics infrastructure and curates the data associated with four national research networks.  NBRU also facilitates use of those networks by U-M faculty interested in developing new research for, or collaborating on, existing network studies. NBRU is the entry point of access to these large research networks.

NBRU serves as a liaison between U-M investigators and the following research networks: the Trial Innovation Network (TIN), the Midwest Area Research Consortium for Health (MARCH), Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT), and PaTH Network. TIN, ACT, and MARCH are each part of the CTSA collaboration, while PaTH Network is part of PCORnet.

Services Related to Multisite Research:

●      Consultation

●      Cohort Discovery

●      Common Data Model Queries

●      Research Collaborations

●      Patient and Community Collaborations

What is the Trial Innovation Network (TIN)?

The Trial Innovation Network (TIN) is a national network of collaborators designed to leverage the expertise and resources available throughout the CTSA program. TIN aims to remove critical roadblocks throughout the clinical research process and accelerate the translation of novel interventions into life-saving therapies. According to the TIN website, the network features “a single IRB system, master contracting agreements, quality by design approaches, and a focus on evidence-based strategies to recruitment and patient engagement.”

For more information, please visit the TIN website.

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What is the Midwest Area Research Consortium for Health (MARCH)?

The Midwest Area Research Consortium for Health (MARCH) provides an established infrastructure for investigators and external sponsors who want to conduct multisite clinical research at premier academic medical centers across the Midwest. MARCH connects CTSA-funded sites that are accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protections Program to promote multidisciplinary investigators and study teams, using established standard operating procedures for consistency. MARCH aims to increase efficiency across research collaborations by offering centralized administrative support and coordination, including:

  • implementing multisite research protocols,

  • standardized data management across sites,

  • streamlined regulatory approval,

  • a common DSMB for MARCH network studies, and

  • access to recruitment across multiple Midwest sites.

For more information, please visit the MARCH website.

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What is the Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT)?

The ACT Network allows researchers to explore and validate feasibility for clinical studies outside of their own institutions, and across the CTSA consortium in real-time. ACT offers HIPAA-compliant, IRB-approved resources to help researchers design and complete clinical studies.

For more information, please visit the ACT website.

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What is the PaTH Network?

The PaTH Clinical Research Network facilitates collaborations between researchers throughout PaTH and nationally through PCORnet. PaTH helps researchers learn from real-world health data and incorporate what they learn into their care and research. PaTH works with patients and other stakeholders to foster impactful health research. The PaTH infrastructure includes fostering institutional relationships, a centralized Institutional Review Board (IRB), data intra-operability between partner electronic health records, and identifying site champions to assist in identifying co-investigators.

PaTH has partnered with more than a dozen institutions and health centers to create a robust research ecosystem. For more information, please visit the PaTH website.

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