Designing, running, and evaluating clinical trials requires specialist knowledge across a team of people. Their complexity often means many early-career researchers don’t get exposed to sufficient clinical trial design of modern methods or the practical considerations and the impact that these choices have on the quality of the research. The purpose of this training course is to provide researchers with the opportunity to access advice and support from experienced trialists and their peer-group through a bespoke programme of work.

The course is aimed at early-career researchers or researchers new to trials who wish to develop the essential skills needed to plan a clinical trial.

Priority will be given to applicants from Imperial College London and affiliated organisations. 

You will be asked to bring a research question that you have discussed with your academic mentor to the first session. During the course you will learn all the key statistical and operational considerations which are needed to run a clinical trial effectively. You will develop a protocol over the 13 weeks based on your chosen research question.

The course involves a mixture of online material and online small group tutorials. It is a bespoke programme of learning with a mix of independent learning and weekly peer-to-peer working.

The course is delivered over 13 weeks. This will include 9 learning weeks (online material and  small group tutorials), 3 reading week breaks and 1 final presentation to senior academics.

Within each learning week there is a collection of short videos that provide introductions to key topics and associated weekly tasks that are discussed within the weekly 1.5 hour online tutorials.

You will have the week to review the online material, then the opportunity to consolidate the topic and apply this to your own clinical trial protocol in discussion with tutors and support from your peers in the group.

• Week 1: Preparing to Design a Trial - 11 Sept 2024
• Week 2: Classification of Clinical Trials - 18 Sept 2024
• Week 3: Late Phase Trial Design - 25 Sept 2024
• Week 4: BREAK - Reading week - 02 Oct 2024
• Week 5: PPIE - 09 Oct 2024
• Week 6: Protocol Development - 16 Oct 2024
• Week 7: Collecting Data - 23 Oct 2024
• Week 8: BREAK - Reading week - 30 Oct 2024
• Week 9: Statistical Considerations - 06 Nov 2024
• Week 10: Trial Operations - 13 Nov 2024 
• Week 11: Analysing and Reporting Trial Outcomes - 20 Nov 2024
• Week 12: BREAK - Finalise protocol - 27 Nov 2024
• Week 13: Presentation Session - 4 Dec 2024

The next online ICCT course will start on the 11 Sept 2024

Online tutorials on MS Teams will take place on Wednesday 12:00 to 13:30.

Yes, this version of the course is designed to be delivered online. There are no in-person sessions.

The tutors are experienced ICTU staff working in Clinical Trial Statistics, Methodology, Operations and Clinical Data Systems.

Registration is now open. Link to online ICCT registration form.

Places on the 2024 ICCT online course are limited to 15 delegates. Please note that registration may close early if there is a high number of applications, so you are encouraged to register early.

The online course costs £750.

Please note that full payment must be transferred to ICTU on acceptance of your course place.

ICTU is unable to provide funding for this course.  If you don’t have access to funds through a training grant, for example a fellowship then we recommend you speak to your supervisor or Head of Department about funding options.

You must have:

• Basic knowledge of clinical research
• Sufficient time to complete the homework
• Availability to attend 9 online sessions (8 tutorials and 1 final presentation)
• A research question to develop during the course
• A named academic supervisor/mentor
• Funding confirmed prior to the course starting.