In addition to the Post-Graduate Program in Translational Biomedince's research and training modules, other resources to support clinical research are listed below:

General Clinical Research Center: The GCRC is the major resource for inpatient and outpatient research at The University of Iowa and offers a physical and intellectual environment in which clinical investigation can be conducted with maximum regard for patient welfare and safety. One of 78 clinical centers in the U.S. supported by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Institute of Health (NIH), the GCRC provides Bionutritional, Biostatistical, Analytical, Cardiovascular, Body Compositional, Pulmonary and Neurophysiological Cores for clinical researchers. The GCRC is non-departmental and functions as a discrete unit accommodating adults and children. In the most recent grant year, the GCRC had 783 inpatient overnight stays and 8,158 outpatient visits, both of which were significantly higher than in previous years. GCRC investigators, representing 15 departments in the Carver College of Medicine, work closely with five faculty members from the Colleges of Pharmacy, nine faculty members from the College of Dentistry, three faculty members from the College of Public Health, and one faculty member each from the Colleges of Nursing and Liberal Arts and Sciences. The GCRC combined inpatient/outpatient facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has a combined nursing staff of 17.5 FTE’s, consisting of 1 nurse manager, 9.5 staff nurses, 2.5 scatter nurses, 2.5 clinical technicians and 2 unit clerks. In 2003, as the GCRC entered its 42nd year of NIH funding, the direct grant award was $3.2 million. There are currently 115 active protocols in the GCRC conducted by 290 investigators, with $49 million in federal funds.

Clinical Trials Statistical and Data Management Center: This Center, also part of the College of Public Health, manages and performs the statistical analysis and data management functions for multi-center clinical trials funded by NIH and various industries.

Clinical Trials Office: The Clinical Trials Office, which is part of the Carver College of Medicine, supports investigators conducting industry-sponsored trials. Specific services of the Office include negotiating contracts, assisting with budget preparations and human subjects reviews, maintaining a cadre of study coordinators and research nurses, and ensuring that studies are conducted in compliance with federal regulations for human subjects research.



Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship: This intensive, one-year program offers clinical research training for medical students from The University of Iowa and other institutions. Students work with senior clinical investigators, participate in targeted didactic curricula, and attend a weekly research seminar.

Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship: This fellowship provides introductory "hands-on" research experience for roughly 60 medical students following the first year of medical school.

Iowa Scholars in Clinical Investigation (K-30 Award): This award provides one to two years of clinical research training and coursework. No degree is granted. GPTB trainees participate in some of the coursework utilized in the K-30 program. The GPTB, which was a significant factor in the initial funding of the K-30 award, was proposed as a graduate program to the State of Iowa’s Board of Regents prior to K-30 program funding. Although the K-30 program and the GPTB have positive interactions, there is no direct connection between the two programs.

Iowa Research Network: IRENE is a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) affiliated with The University of Iowa’s Department of Family Medicine, the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians, and the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians Foundation. The Network is a tremendous resource for the GPTB. Its organizational structure is based on membership governance with a professional staff supported by the Department of Family Medicine. It has received external funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and rural communities. Current IRENE members are located in 62 of Iowa’s 99 counties; 109 have already participated in research studies; 81 have completed the two-hour NIH course to obtain certification in human subjects protection; 86% have an MD; 14% have a DO; and 54% practice in non-metropolitan or rural areas. Data collection has been completed for two IRENE studies and is underway for two others. This network will provide the capacity for investigators or scholars to translate their research into clinical practice.

The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center: The HCCC is an NCI-designated Cancer Center, which draws its strength from multiple campus organizations. It is based in the Carver College of Medicine, but includes members from five Colleges and 25 Departments within the University. The Center facilitates collaborative research, supports core resources, identifies and fills areas of need related to the University’s cancer research, and enhances interactions between investigators. The HCCC is organized into six formal scientific programs each of which includes basic, clinical, and population research that is relevant to a specific area of cancer study. These six HCCC Programs are: 1) Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2) Cell Signaling and Developmental Pharmacology; 3) Free Radical Cancer Biology; 4) Tumor Imaging; 5) Cancer Epidemiology; and 6) Cancer Genetics and Computational Biology.



Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center: Since 1994, the Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center has been funded by a P-30 Core Center NIH grant. The Research Dissemination Core (RDC) is one of the Center’s four core units, and features two activities relevant to the GPTB: the developing of Evidence-Based Practice Protocols, and the establishing of a Partners in Practice Network in which Evidence-Based Practice Protocols (EBPs) are implemented and evaluated. A final step in introducing science into practice is the development of Evidence-Based Practice Protocols. Currently, EBPs on 31 different topics have been developed and updated, with over 30,000 copies disseminated. Three new protocols are near completion, eight are underway, 14 interest areas have been generated for future development, and 7 protocols are under revision. Each of the practice protocols contains 1) a statement of purpose addressing the patient care problem; 2) operational definitions of major terms used in the protocol; 3) a statement regarding which patient population(s) will be most likely to benefit from the protocol; 4) patient assessment criteria; 5) a step-by step guide to carry out literature and research citations for each practice; 6) a guide to monitor the process and outcome of implementing the protocol; 7) appendices with examples of tools for patient assessment, implementation and evaluation; and 8) a reference list used to develop the EBP. There are numerous special requests for the Evidence-Based Practice protocols from such state and federal agencies as: the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (a state CMS QIO); the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs; the Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control Division; the Office of Attorney General; Commonwealth of Kentucky; and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts. For example, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington D.C., included 10 EPB protocol summaries for their web site project “Sharing Innovations in Quality,” with web site information on how to obtain the protocols available from the Research Dissemination Core (RDC). This initial exchange was so successful that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services requested an additional ten protocols in March 2003. Completed annually, evaluations of EBPs use a 10% stratified (by protocol) random sampling of individuals who ordered the protocols. Forty-one percent of the responders were able to implement the protocol within nine months. EBPs are of little value unless there is dissemination to consumers. In 2000, the RDC initiated consumer information inserts for the EBP protocols based upon consumer requests for information about these practices. Consumer protocols from other sources such as National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association are reviewed as to avoid duplication of already available resources. The review process requires obtaining the consumer information and reviewing it for accuracy and congruency with the EBP protocol. The consumer information inserts for Advanced Directives; Detection of Depression in the Cognitively Intact Older Adult; Individualized Music; Exercise Promotion: Walking in Elders; Management of Constipation; Hydration Management; and Prompted Voiding and Wandering have been completed. These consumer inserts are disseminated with the EBP protocols to staff, patients, and their family members. The effectiveness of EBPs have been tested for Progressive Resistance Training; Treatment of Pressure Ulcers; Individualized Music; Music Therapy Programming; Split Thickness Skin Graft Donor Site Care; Family Involvement in Care; Hydration Management; and Acute Pain Management in Older Adults. During the next five-year renewal period, a consortia entitled, Partners to Improve Practice Network, will be composed of the following agencies: Duke University’s School of Nursing’s LTC consortium; the VAMCs in VISN 23, the Trinity Health System; the Alaskan Native Medical Center; and the 12 acute care sites enrolled in the AHRQ TRIP study. Activities of Partners to Improve Practice Network will focus on: 1) developing a nursing practice network with healthcare systems in the U.S. to promote use of evidence in care of older adults, and as sites for research in care of older adults, and translation science; and 2) working directly with selected sites in the network to implement and evaluate evidence-based practices in care of the older adult. This network also will provide the capacity for investigators or GPTB trainees to translate their research into clinical practice.