# Clinical Research Resources and Facilities Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $329,772

## Abstract

Rural Americans are more likely to die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung diseases, and even
SARS-CoV-2 infection than persons living in urban areas, yet rural populations are consistently
underrepresented in clinical trials. Clinical research focused on the health issues confronting diverse rural
populations is critical to addressing and remediating West Virginia’s (WV) significant health disparities. The
overall goal of the Clinical Research Resources and Facilities (CRRF) Core is to overcome obstacles to clinical
study participation faced by rural residents while supporting the development of the next generation of clinical
trialists and ensuring the highest quality of study conduct. Building on the considerable CRRF Core
achievements in Years 6-10 that included implementation of the Clinical Trials Center of Excellence (COE),
we will accomplish the overall goal by achieving three specific aims. Specific Aim 1 is to develop
comprehensive infrastructure and collaborations across WV that facilitate clinical study participation among
diverse rural populations. We will accomplish this aim using several strategies. Two new clinical trials partners,
Berkeley Medical Center/WVU Eastern Campus, located in WV’s eastern panhandle, and the Veterans Affairs
(VA) facility in Huntington, expand the geographic footprint of WVCTSI clinical trials. Existing clinical trials
centers at established WVCTSI partners, Marshall University and Charleston Area Medical Center, will be more
closely aligned under the COE umbrella through the establishment of the WVCTSI Clinical Trials Council.
Importantly, our new National Institutes of Health-funded mobile clinical trials unit, a 39-foot Winnebago
customized to include two exam rooms and laboratory space, will provide WVCTSI investigators the ability to
enroll study participants in the farthest corners of rural WV. Finally, we will implement and promote telehealth
as a clinical research platform to reach potential participants across the state. Specific Aim 2 will build strong
clinical research teams by providing the next generation of clinical trialists with the skills and qualifications to
effectively lead research teams. The Principal Investigators’ (PI) Academy, established in the current funding
cycle, will provide a forum for discussion of clinical trial issues and mentoring of early-stage investigators. To
address a critical shortage of study coordinators in WV, we will develop and implement an online certificate
program in clinical trial coordination, in collaboration with the WVU School of Nursing. In Specific Aim 3 we
will develop and implement a standardized set of performance metrics across all WVCTSI clinical trial sites to
drive clinical trial efficiency and quality. As site performance excellence is critical to the safety of participants
and the success of any clinical trial, we will implement a menu of metrics to facilitate timely identification and
resolution of potential problems that may ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10505671
- **Project number:** 2U54GM104942-07
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JUDITH FEINBERG
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $329,772
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2012-08-15 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10505671

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10505671, Clinical Research Resources and Facilities Core (2U54GM104942-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10505671. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*