The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program supports biomedical research capacity building in states that have historically received low levels of NIH funding.  One such program, the IDeA Clinical & Translational Research (CTR) award, supports clinical and translational (C&T) research capacity building to enable research on diseases and health challenges prevalent in IDeA states. Significantly increasing the number of clinical trials and complex observational studies in IDeA states is a pressing need that requires continued efforts to strengthen clinical research capacity and employ innovative approaches that maximize the use of existing resources. The IDeA Clinical Research Resource Center (I-CRRC) was funded in 2023 to increase the capacity in IDeA states to conduct clinical trials and complex observational studies by:

• strengthening communication and developing collaborations between health research institutions in IDeA states and clinical trial sponsors; and
• developing clinical research coordinators with the knowledge and skills to manage clinical trials and complex observational studies.