The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), issued by the NINDS, is to invite currently awarded NIH StrokeNet centers and potential new stroke centers to participate as a Regional Coordinating Stroke Center (RCC) in the NIH StrokeNet clinical trials network. Established by the NINDS in 2013, the goal of the NIH StrokeNet is to harness the leadership and experience of the stroke research field to maximize efficiencies for developing, promoting, and conducting high-quality, multi-site clinical trials focused on promising interventions for stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery with the objective of having a balanced portfolio between all three approaches. Multi-site exploratory and confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trials as well as biomarker-validation studies that are immediately preparatory to trials and ancillary studies designed to add scientific aims to active studies will be coordinated through separate National Coordinating (NCC) and National Data Management (NDMC) Centers.
Funded RCCs in the network will be regional academic medical centers that include geographically or organizationally linked partners, clinical performance sites, or satellite stroke centers that are committed to randomizing patients in NINDS-funded NIH StrokeNet clinical studies. RCCs will have both clinical science excellence and specialized expertise in stroke management, as well as a strong background in stroke research, and a proven ability to recruit stroke patients. Each RCC will also have strong collaborative relationships between vascular neurology, emergency medicine, interventional neuroradiology, neurosurgery, neurointensive care, neuroimaging, stroke rehabilitation, and pediatric neurology, thereby demonstrating commitment to offer all eligible patients the opportunity to participate in a trial conducted through the network. In addition, the NIH StrokeNet clinical trials network will include an active stroke research career advancement program. RCCs will be committed to advancing the career of junior stroke research fellows and research coordinators to ensure a strong continuity of academic stroke research in the future. Lastly, all RCCs will be committed to increasing the value of clinical research data through an aggressive data sharing plan.
This FOA solicits applications for the RCCs for the NIH StrokeNet. Separate FOA's solicit applications for the NCC and NDMC.