Call for Expressions of Interest April2018

Steering Group Members

VCCC Increasing Awareness of Clinical Trials program Steering Group

Background

The VCCC Increasing Awareness of Clinical Trials Program is one of 19 programs being undertaken as part of the Victorian State Government supported Strategic Research Plan 2017 - 20.

It is well recognised that multiple factors influence patients’ decisions to participate in clinical trials of which awareness is the most frequently reported barrier through the VCTL website and app. Information is updated manually and therefore often out of date - particularly information on when a trial is open for recruitment. Real time information, with automated updates to the VCTL website and app, have the potential to be a cost-effective way to increase the use of these resources by clinicians and therefore awareness of currently recruiting clinical trials.

Furthermore, awareness of currently open Phase 1 trials presents a distinct challenge, as the status of Phase 1 trials changes particularly rapidly and so requires a hands-on approach to ensure seamless patient referral to major Phase 1 sites across Victoria. Patient referral pathways are currently ad-hoc, largely because there is no dedicated resource available to help manage referrals and track patient flow in relation to eventual access to potential trials.

This program aims to support awareness of actively recruiting cancer clinical trials through:

•a feasibility study of real time updates to the Victorian Cancer Trials Link (VCTL) clinical trial website and app.

•a co-ordination resource to supplement the VCTL clinical trial app and website to streamline awareness of actively recruiting Phase 1 trials

Goals/desired outcomes

  • Continued improvements to and greater usage of the VCTL website and app
  • Improved participation in clinical trials
  • Better co-ordination of referrals for all Victorian patients:

•to all Victorian Phase 1 trial centres

•to molecular/genomic biomarker-based pre-screening for Phase 1 trials

•and therefore, better recruitment to Phase 1 trials.

Opportunity

The VCCC is calling for Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified individuals to join the VCCC Increasing Awareness of Clinical Trials Program Steering Group. Membership of the Steering Group provides the opportunity to:

  • play a key role in contributing to the development of a program of work in providing support to develop and open investigator initiated clinical trialsacross the VCCC alliance
  • contribute to an expert committee and help drive the success of the programfrom 2018 - 2020
  • contribute to ‘public good’ clinical research across the VCCC alliance.

Steering Group Membership

The Steering Group will comprise the following:

oVCCC Database & Analytics Manager

oData linkage Representative from CCV

oCCV Program Manager

oA minimum of two Clinician researchers from VCCC representative organisations

oA minimum of two Clinical Trial Managers from representative organisations

o Early Career Researcher

oConsumer representative

Additional members will be co-opted as the program evolves

Eligibility criteria

The following is required to be considered for this role:

  • relevant clinical/ allied health qualification, PhD or equivalent research training
  • current employment with a VCCC alliance partner or member of a non-VCCC collaborative group/ organisation with a focus on investigator initiated trials
  • demonstrated experience and expertise in identified Steering Group membership area

Scope of Position

The primary aim of this honoraryrole will be to provide strategic advice on the feasibility study of real time updates to the Victorian Cancer Trials Link (VCTL) clinical trial website and app in order to determine whether data can be pulled from VCCC partner sites into the VCTL database in real time, and therefore streamline awareness of actively recruiting trials, and ultimately positively impact on clinical trial recruitment, particularly for phase 1 trials.

The pro bono time commitment required is likely to vary, dependent on the activities and milestones of the program. It is anticipated that the Steering Group will meet on an as-needs basis in the developmental stages of the program and then every three - four months depending on need as the program progresses.The Steering Group reports to the VCCC Cancer Research Advisory Committee (CRAC).

Application process

To be formally considered, all applicants should complete and submit the following Expression of Interest Form (indicating which position you are applying for) including a copy of your CV to Anne Woollett () by Monday 14May2018.

Please direct any queries to:

Anne Woollett,Head of Clinical Trials Programs, VCCC

(ph): 03 8559-9061

Expression of Interest Form

Name:
Organisation(s):
Steering Group membership position:
Preferred Email:
Contact Phone:
Please provide a short statement that supports your application including your relevant experience and what you believe you can contribute to this program:

Please include your CV with the completed application.

Appendix

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre- Alliance

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre was established in 2009 and is a powerful alliance of ten successful Victorian organisations committed to cancer control: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne Health (including The Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The Royal Women’s Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Western Health, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (including St Vincent's Institute), Austin Health (including the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Austin Lifesciences) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.The alliance brings together a critical mass of expertise in cancer research, education and care to drive innovation and more rapid translation of new research and evidence into routine clinical care.

The VCCC Strategic Research Plan

The VCCC Strategic Research Plan 2017-20 (SRP)is a new $30 million program supported by the Victorian State Government, that sets out a structured approach to tackle some of the big challenges in cancer with the aim of bringing about long-lasting benefits for the Victorian community.

Comprised of 19 interlinked programs, the plan focuses on areas of unmet need and work that is beyond the scope of individual organisations working independently.Consumer engagement has been criticalto program design, and all programs meet criteria around feasibility and international competitiveness. Emphasis has been given to programs of work that could be expanded to benefit the community more broadly in future.

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