About CTAC
The Mission
CTAC strives to engage all communities in the research and development of potentially life-saving medical treatments and diagnostics.
Our goal is to create a network of connected, community-based clinical care sites equipped with tools and resources for sustainable participation in clinical research. This requires addressing critical research access issues that exist today (e.g., 50% of clinical trials take place in less than 2% of US zip codes).
To achieve this, CTAC has convened an unparalleled ecosystem of 50+ partners including top scientists, physicians, community and professional society leaders, former FDA leaders, and industry executives who are leading thinkers on clinical research, clinical trial operations and access, community-based care models, population health, and more. These partners work together to expand clinical trial access, generate valuable insights, and share learnings with the broader research community.
Our History
During the learning phase, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) awarded a $10 million grant to Yale University to support the creation and development of this initiative, which initially sought to work with 10 sites and uncover learnings to promote sustainability and success.
CTAC emerged from our learning phase with a well-proven and rigorously tested model, and with the confidence our scalable approach will expand research access, and ultimately lead to better science and research infrastructure, and improved health.
To sustain and build on the progress made in the learning phase, we transitioned from the grant learning phase into a formalized non-profit organization with an expanded mission to serve all communities across the U.S., now known as the Clinical Trials Access Collaborative (CTAC). This evolution represents a significant step in our mission to transform clinical trial accessibility, ensuring that individuals who wish to participate in medical research have the opportunity to do so.
Moving forward, we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with PhRMA, in addition to engaging a variety of other mission-aligned stakeholders.
The Network Partners
CTAC is led by national clinical research experts. Its Network Partners, which continue to provide valuable advisory support to sites, include Yale School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC) at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Key elements for making local sites sustainable in the clinical trial ecosystem include:
- Building on existing strengths and capabilities using a co-developed maturity model
- Developing lasting partnerships
- Providing continuous mentoring support from CTAC Network Partners to help sites meet their goals and aspirations
