ACT Network

The Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT) Network is a real-time platform for researchers to explore and validate the feasibility for clinical studies across the NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium. ACT helps researchers design and complete clinical studies and is secure, HIPAA-compliant and IRB-approved.

With the ACT Network, researchers can:

The Trial Innovation Network is a new collaborative initiative within the CTSA Program and is composed of three key organizational partners – the CTSA Program Hub network, the Trial Innovation Centers (TICs), and the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC). All are key partners of the Trial Innovation Network and make unique and essential contributions. Other important partners include NIH Institutes, other federal and non-federal stakeholders, researchers, patients, providers, and the public.

REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and research databases. It is a novel workflow methodology and software solution designed by Vanderbilt University for rapid development and deployment of electronic data capture tools to support clinical and translational research. Using REDCap’s streamlined process for rapidly developing projects, you may create and design projects using

The Clinical Research Center (CRC) provides clinical research expertise, facilities and resources to Penn State investigators. Resources include unique facilities and equipment, as well as highly experienced staff who are trained in human subjects’ protection, good clinical practices, protocol implementation and compliance. The facilities at University Park CRC are approximately 6,800 square feet and include five patient exam rooms, an interview/consult room, a DXA room, two procedure rooms, three infusion sleep rooms and an exercise room.

The Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) can provide a wide range of consultation services during all stages of studies, and specifically during the project development and start-up phases. See CTSI consultation services:

The Penn State Research Portal (PURE) is a publicly-available system that captures and displays the research output of the University, both for investigators and units, and facilitates collaboration between investigators across the University and beyond. Pure aggregates research information from internal and external sources and enhances the visibility and discoverability of research at Penn State, both internally and externally.

All investigators who are engaged in research must complete Penn State University’s required Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) training and submit a disclosure of significant financial interest.

Penn State uses the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program to offer content that fulfills that human subjects research training requirement for IRB approval. The CITI human subjects training includes a required module on HIPAA privacy and security that fulfills HIPAA training for investigators human subjects research. Click here to begin training in CITI.

Some studies defined as "clinical research" or a "clinical trial" have special compliance requirements. For compliance purposes, there are three definitions of clinical trials depending on the funding or regulatory oversight. Studies with NIH funding follow the Common Rule definition, which is a similar definition used by other federal funding agencies. FDA-regulated research defines a clinical trial as research meeting the criteria of an "applicable clinical trials" (ACT).

Penn State has a number of policies relevant to clinical research. Research protections policies include: