Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to share updates on some of the actions we are taking to strengthen GW’s clinical research ecosystem through the creation of two complementary working groups.
At the outset, we want to reaffirm GW’s commitment to supporting a thriving and growing research enterprise. Clinical research is central to our mission and a critical component of our impact as a leading research university and academic health center. Across our schools and research units, GW investigators are advancing innovative cancer therapies, contributing to vaccine and infectious disease research, developing new drugs and medical devices, and improving the quality of care for patients. These efforts exemplify Scholarship with Impact, a priority of the University’s Strategic Framework.
We recognize that the ongoing transitions in GW’s healthcare and clinical research environments have created uncertainty and posed logistical challenges. We are grateful for the community’s patience, professionalism, and continued dedication to clinical research throughout this process. At the same time, this moment presents an important opportunity to take a broader look at how GW can best support and advance clinical research.
These efforts are being led by cross-functional working groups comprising faculty, staff, and research leaders from across GW:
- The provost has convened a Clinical Research Working Group that has members from all three clinical schools, the Research Support Teams, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of the General Counsel. Chaired by Dr. Adam Friedman and Joan Campbell, the Working Group will develop a practical, GW-informed set of recommendations on how to optimize clinical research support – especially how to improve clarity, reduce unnecessary burdens on researchers, support necessary compliance standards, and strengthen GW’s clinical research ecosystem. The Interim Vice President for Research is also working closely with the working group chairs and expert external advisors to gather benchmarking data and support the committee’s work, with the aim of providing a report to the provost within the next four months.
- In parallel, the schools that conduct clinical research have initiated a complementary effort, the Clinical Research Executive Working Group, focused on school-based needs for support of clinical research activities. Coordinated across the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health, this undertaking is examining operational areas such as staffing, recruitment, and oversight functions that will enable research teams to continue their work effectively during and beyond this transition. A key focus will be identifying shared needs, exchanging best practices, and pursuing opportunities for greater collaboration. The school-based process is being led by Drs. Alison Hall and Manya Magnus, who are also members of the Clinical Research Working Group, to ensure alignment between the two groups.
Both of the endeavors described above depend on extensive community engagement. We anticipate multiple opportunities for faculty, staff, and other partners to provide input and help shape the recommendations. When you receive outreach from either working group, we hope you will share your time and expertise to help us create a clinical research ecosystem at GW that enables our research, our researchers, and their research participants to thrive.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the faculty and staff who have agreed to serve on the working groups undertaking this important work. We are equally grateful to the broader research community for its continued engagement, thoughtful feedback, and patience throughout this period of transition.
Clinical research, we wish to emphasize, is critical to GW's mission, to the patients and communities we serve, and to the future of scientific discovery. We are committed not only to sustaining these efforts, but to building an environment in which clinical research can flourish. As this work progresses, we will continue to keep the community informed and share updates on key developments, milestones, and additional opportunities for engagement.
Thank you for your continued dedication to research excellence and to the research participants and communities who benefit from your work.
Sincerely,
Edward J. Balleisen
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of History
Evangeline J. Downie
Interim Vice President for Research
Andrew W. Artenstein
Interim Vice President for Health Affairs
Interim Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Susan Kelly-Weeder
Dean, School of Nursing
Kelly A. Gebo
Michael and Lori Milken Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health