Finding New Commercial Studies
Version 1 - March 2023
Expression of Interest (EOI) Websites
A great way to find a commercial trial is to contact your local CRN to ask about current commercial opportunities. The team will have all the information you should need about a study, such as study title, CPMS number, the deadline to apply for and a summary of the study. Studies are regularly published on a primary care and secondary care website where you can directly submit expressions of interest (EOIs).
For the East Midlands, email supportmystudyeastmidlands@nihr.ac.uk to enquire about new research opportunities and get access to our EOI websites.
Direct Approach
Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) often directly email research-active Principal Investigators (PI)s and Study Coordinators (SCs) about new and upcoming trials in their specialty. Site identification forms or EOIs can be submitted directly to the CRO or sponsor and do not have to go through the NIHR EOI submission process. Often, CROs and sponsors have a database of PIs that have carried out research studies successfully in the past, but having this information displayed publicly on your site website is a useful way of communicating this information too.
Repeat Business
Once you have worked with a CRO or sponsor successfully, they often will directly contact a PI and SC directly at site. They will send a site identification form directly to the site to complete and build up a working relationship with said site. Should the site continuously deliver studies successfully, it may be the CRO or sponsor contacts the site about new and upcoming trials early on in the site selection process.
Top Tips
Submit EOIs as soon as they become available. The quicker the sponsors receive information about feasibility the more likely they are to select you and also approach you in the future.
Create a template EOI form you can use to tailor according to the study to reduce workload and increase number of EOIs you can submit at once.
Site selection is PI focused, have a list of available PIs with their specialty and experience on your website or somewhere readily available.