Now in its 18th year, the Centre for Statistics in Medicine's (CSM) Randomised Controlled Trials Course provides a thorough grounding in the principles and practice of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for evaluating healthcare interventions.
For the first time in 2020, NDORMS is offering a sponsored place for an applicant from an LMIC (lower-to-middle-income country) or a student. The Doug Altman scholarship has been established in memory of course founder Professor Doug Altman, who was an advocate for transparency in scientific research and dedicated his 40-year career to developing essential tools for better design, analysis, clarity, and reporting of clinical research.
"Back in the early noughties, I was invited to a meeting with Doug Altman, then Director of the CSM, and we decided to create a short course" said Associate Professor Ed Juszczak, Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit Clinical Trials Unit and co-founder of the RCT Course. "We wanted to share our knowledge and experiences of every aspect of a clinical trial, aiming the course at those planning an RCT or actively running one, marrying the statistics with logistics and rationale, making it understandable and accessible for all. The course has run annually in Oxford since 2003 with 631 participants to date."
The sponsorship covers the full cost of the course fee and accommodation at Merton College for the duration of the five-day course, which will run from Monday 21 to Friday 25 September 2020.
Associate Professor Jonathan Cook, Course Lead said: "The course brings together a highly experienced interdisciplinary faculty of clinicians, statisticians, trialists and trial managers, and attracts participants from a very diverse range of sectors from health professionals and trial staff, through to funders and journal editors. I'm looking forward to another wonderfully stimulating and enjoyable week, learning and thinking about randomised trials in the inspiring surroundings of Merton College."
If you would you like to be considered for the sponsored place, please contact Jacqueline Wright on rct.course@csm.ox.ac.uk for more information and to request an application form.