Clinical psychiatrist Barbara Gracious had a month to spare over the summer while transitioning to her new job at Ohio State University in Columbus. But, instead of jetting off to a vacation spot, she packed her bags for Bethesda, Maryland, home of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, to go on sabbatical.

This past summer, Gracious, together with three other researchers, was part of a pilot training program in clinical trial management. The investigators took courses in introductory protocol writing, patient tracking and safety management, among other issues. They also met with program officers at the NIH and made contacts at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to better understand regulatory issues associated with clinical research. (Click here to continue reading)