February 8, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing has established a graduate certificate in clinical research management; the program was approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees at its Feb. 5 meeting.

The certificate program is being created in response to the growing number of health professionals, nationally and internationally, who work as clinical research coordinators. Nationally, a 20 percent growth is expected in positions related to clinical research, and new bioethical challenges and safety concerns will require expert personnel to ensure that high standards as well as governmental and funding agency regulations are met.

In 2009, the school received a challenge grant from the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center to create culturally adaptive, long-distance communication and learning applications for clinical research coordinators that can enhance the productivity and quality of active U.S.-international research and research-training collaborations. Its success led to the creation of this certificate program.

The certificate will require completion of 18 credit hours and will be available online.

About the UAB School of Nursing
Building on a legacy of nursing education in Birmingham, the UAB School of Nursing prepares nurse leaders to excel as clinicians, researchers and educators and advances knowledge and the delivery of high-quality health care in Alabama and worldwide. The school offers leading-edge bachelors, master', and doctoral programs, and offers the opportunity for students to learn with faculty and student teams from nursing, medicine, dentistry, health professions, public health and optometry.