Trial Innovation Network

A collaborative national network for multi-site clinical trials that focuses on operational innovation, excellence, and collaboration.


TIN logoThe NIH-funded Trial Innovation Network (TIN) is a national collaborative aimed at improving investigator-initiated multi-site trial operations by leveraging resources and the collective expertise of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium, which includes UCSF’s CTSI.

The vision for the Trial Innovation Network is to innovatively address critical roadblocks in clinical research and accelerate the translation of novel interventions into life-saving therapies.

The Trial Innovation Network aims to not only execute trials better, faster, and more cost-efficiently but also to act as a national laboratory to study and innovate the process of conducting clinical trials. 

Who is Eligible?

  • Any UCSF investigator across all four schools who are planning multi-site clinical trials or whose studies are eligible to submit a request for TIN services. This includes faculty at UCSF affiliates such as Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG), San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA), and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (BCHO). Trials are conducted across all areas of medicine.
  • Investigators who would like to collaborate on multi-site trials initiated by other sites and investigators across other hubs.

How Do You Participate?

  • There are two ways to participate in the Trial Innovation Network:
    • Inbound studies: UCSF researchers can participate in multi-site clinical trials initiated by other network sites. These study requests are sent to the UCSF TIN liaison team and then disseminated to investigators within the broader UCSF research community.
    • Outbound studies: UCSF researchers can submit projects of their own to be conducted using TIN network resources. Before submitting a proposal, investigators should reach out to the UCSF TIN liaison team to learn more about which study resources available through the TIN they may want to utilize.

Services Provided for TIN Studies:

  • Single IRB support, resources and tools, and web-based platform (IREx)
  • Master contracting agreements
  • Consultation on a variety of topics, such as study design and participant recruitment and engagement strategies
  • EHR-based cohort assessment for informing study design and site selection
  • Assistance in identifying study sites across the United States 

What Makes a Good TIN Proposal?

  • Multi-site study design (3 or more institutions)
  • Includes all populations affected by the health condition being studied. This should include diverse and special populations including women, racial/ethnic minorities and children
  • Opportunity to study an innovative designs and approach to improve quality, efficiency, or cost of clinical research

And/or

  • Opportunity to provide evidence that can improve future clinical trial designs, conduct, and reportability
  • Willingness to partner with the TIN through the life cycle of the project
  • Fosters collaboration within the CTSA program and NIH institutes & centers

Proposal Submissions

The Trial Innovation Network accepts competitive submissions of requests for research proposal support on an ongoing basis. Use the links below to learn about the TIN proposal process, submission instructions, and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you are a faculty member interested in submitting a proposal to the Trial Innovation Network, please contact the Trial Innovation Network Program Manager, Nimit Ruparel, at [email protected].