"The Clinical Center's new sabbatical is an innovative approach to assuring leadership in clinical research, which will lead—in turn—to more rapidly moving advancements in medical science to improvements in health and health care for all. We are pleased to be at the forefront of this endeavor."
--Dr. John I. Gallin, Director of the NIH Clinical Center

A Unique Experience for Mid-Career Professionals
The Clinical Research Management Sabbatical at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center is designed for experienced clinical investigators and others working in domestic and international clinical research settings. Participants will have the opportunity to come to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD for varying lengths of time, dependent on each individual's interests, to learn about the foundational elements required to manage a clinical or translational research enterprise. The program will provide participants with training in the country's largest hospital totally dedicated to clinical research and a unique opportunity to learn first-hand the essential functions of the federal government in oversight of the clinical research process.

Application Process:
U.S. citizens must apply at least 8 weeks before you wish to begin your sabbatical. Non-U.S. citizens must apply at least 12 weeks before the anticipated start date. Applicants are encouraged to apply as far in advance as possible. This allows adequate time for review of your application, a phone interview, processing of security clearance, and initial scheduling of electives. Apply online using the Application link.

Mentoring and Supervision:
Under the overall direction of the Clinical Center Director, and led by staff in the Clinical Center's Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education (OCRTME), the participants will select "electives" from six core modules that offer exposure to all aspects of the clinical research environment by rotations in clinical, administrative, research and support settings. During each elective, host leaders from the NIH, other federal agencies, and other entities will provide the participants with a combination of didactic and experiential training related to the necessary clinical research infrastructure.

Educational Partners:
Our educational partners who lead and support the electives include:

• NIH Office of Human Subjects Research
• NIH Fogarty International Center
• NIH Office of Technology Transfer
• NIH Office of General Counsel
• NIH National Library of Medicine
• NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
• Food and Drug Administration
• Department of Health and Human Services Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)
• Foundation for the NIH
  

Eligibility:
An ideal candidate for the Sabbatical has at least 7 years experience beyond an advanced degree (e.g. MD, PhD, MBA) or equivalent or comparable work experience. The candidate should demonstrate research experience through published research. Ideal M.D. candidates have completed a specialty training or fellowship. One's job classification would likely fit in one of the following categories:

• Physicians and allied health professionals, such as principal investigators or research officers, who have experience leading clinical research protocols;
• Healthcare management and administrative professionals who want to broaden their scope of knowledge and appreciation for what it takes to manage a comprehensive clinical research program;
• Extramural NIH staff overseeing clinical trials; and
• Intramural NIH investigators

Schedule and Timeframe:
The schedule of electives is agreed upon by the participant and the leaders of the elective courses. There are not set schedules or time limits, but guidance and recommendations are provided to help build a suitable schedule for each participant (See Curriculum). We recommend that sabbatical participants who do not live in the Washington DC metro area complete their sabbatical on a full-time basis. If a participant lives in the DC area, we can more easily accommodate part-time sabbaticals.

Upon acceptance into the program, our staff will work with you to determine a suitable timeframe for your leadership sabbatical. Our goal is to make this process easy and enjoyable for sabbatical participants.

For a detailed curriculum, frequently asked questions, and the program application, please select the links to the right, under Program-Specific Elements.