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Please find information regarding our current studentships below.
MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP) Doctoral Training Programme
We are pleased to be able to offer up to two fully funded studentships which will be based at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, through the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP) Doctoral Training Programme. Full details, including available studentships and how to apply are available on the TMRP DTP website.
- Increasing impact of non-industry drug clinical trials through experience with regulatory submission.
Late-phase clinical trials can impact on clinical practice & improve outcomes for patients. For industry-led trials of drugs & devices, the pathway to impact is clear: develop & run trials of healthcare interventions that can be submitted for regulatory review leading, if successful, to a new or extended license. However, industry does not do trials of all healthcare interventions; so many late-phase RCTs are developed and run by non--industry groups (academia, charities, government agencies) - sometimes involving collaboration with industry partners. Our prior research has shown that very few of these trials are used in regulatory submissions.
The objective of this PhD studentship is to enhance the “pathway to impact” for non-industry led trials - by analysing factors in their design, conduct, & analysis that may hinder their delivery or the use of their results. By extracting valuable insights from the experiences of these trials and those who lead them, which can be applied to other (primarily ‘non-industry’) trials, we can increase their use in decision-making by regulatory bodies & guideline committees. Lessons learned and outcomes from this research has the potential for widespread impact on the execution of current and future clinical trials.
For more information on the project, the supervisors and how to apply please visit the studentship page on FindAPhD.com.
- Patient and Public Involvement in late-phase clinical trials testing multiple primary research questions.
Late-phase clinical trial designs that test multiple primary clinical questions within a single protocol (including multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS), basket, umbrella, factorial and PRACTICAL designs) offer potential efficiencies, speeding up the evaluation of interventions so patients can benefit sooner. They are increasing in popularity, with numbers likely to increase in the UK following a recent NIHR (National Institute Health Research) call for platform trial proposals. However, the literature highlights not only the practicalities and benefits of these studies, but also potential challenges, relating to the relative complexity of their design, conduct and analysis, compared to standard two-arm trials. There is very little published research assessing patient and public involvement (PPI) in these trials and no specific guidance for trial teams or patient contributors. This project will set out to explore PPI in late-phase clinical trials testing multiple primary research hypotheses, identifying challenges and opportunities for PPI, developing guidance and providing recommendations for practice based on findings.
For more information on the project, the supervisors and how to apply please visit the studentship page on FindAPhD.com.
To find out more about the MRC-NIHR Trials and Methodology Research Partnership Doctoral Training Partnership (TMRP DTP) visit the TMRP DTP website.
For more information on entry requirements, how to apply and fees and funding for Postgraduate Research at ICTM, see our Clinical Trials and Methodology MPhil/PhD prospectus page.