NCTO and other Research Networks

National Clinical Trials Office

The HRB funded National Clinical Trials Office (NCTO) was established in May 2021. It aims to provide centralized support in conducting multi-center clinical trials and investigations, both commercial and academic across Ireland.

The NCTO provides support for clinical trials undertaken in university-associated Clinical Research Facilities/ Centres (CRF/Cs). The HRB NCTO is the central point of contact for sponsors looking to start a trial, streamlining the national process for feasibility studies, improving study start-up timelines for study setup, recruitment tracking, and collation of metrics, provision of advice about regulatory pathways and research ethical approval and audit and monitoring among others.

Clinical Research Networks

Clinical Research Networks (CRNs) are networks of clinicians interested in a particular disease or topic who are devoted to the improved care of patients and health services through research in that particular topic. The existence of these networks indicates a critical mass of research activity in a given thematic area. Often some of them involve other actors such as academics, scientists, patients, and professional bodies. In Ireland, CRNs are typically funded by the Health Research Board, state funding or other research funding agency, membership fees, fundraising, or via an associated charity and philanthropic or other funding.