NUI Galway, through the Health Research Board (HRB) Clinical Research Facility and the University's College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, recently announced the launch of a new graduate programme in Clinical Research. Medical research is an area of increasing focus within the Irish health sector, and the proposed MSc in Clinical Research will be the first of its kind in Ireland. The MSc in Clinical Research will begin this September and will provide training for the next generation of healthcare workers in research design, biostatistics and administration. Specifically, the course targets individuals who wish to become Principal Investigators or pursue a career in the operation, monitoring and control of clinical research. Initial intake will be restricted to ten places and will involve blended learning through a combination of didactic lectures, problem-based learning and distance learning and will be provided on a full-time or a part-time capacity. Course contributors include senior academics and medical professionals, who are actively engaged in clinical research from NUI Galway, Galway University Hospitals and McMaster University Canada. Commenting on the new course, Professor Larry Egan, Vice-Dean of Research, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, NUI Galway and Interim Director, HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway said: "The absence of a graduate programme in Clinical Research has been a deficit in Irish education and healthcare. We welcome the MSc in Clinical Research, which will support our research activity at the HRB-Clinical Research Facility". "This innovative course will train a new generation of Clinician Scientists to the highest level. It addresses an important unmet need in medical education. We are especially excited about the association with McMaster University, a world-leader in clinical research" said Professor Fidelma Dunne, Head of School of Medicine at NUI Galway. Aimed at individuals employed in the healthcare sector, this course has been developed to meet the needs of working graduates who wish to up-skill, specialise or change career direction. Course directors for the MSc in Clinical Research are Professor Martin O'Donnell and Dr John Newell of the HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway, and Dr Aideen O'Doherty, National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, NUI Galway. NUI Galway welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Health & Children Mary Harney TD earlier this year that € 7.5m in capital funding is being provided for the construction of a new Clinical Research Facility on the grounds of University Hospital Galway. The HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway is a joint venture between Galway University Hospitals and NUI Galway. The facility is supported by funding from the Health Research Board and has been operating since March of 2008. The purpose of the Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is to improve human health through the generation of new medical knowledge from patient based research. The guiding philosophy of the CRF is to stimulate, engage and support health care professionals from diverse areas of expertise to undertake high quality clinical research. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 15 July. For further details on the course visit www.crfg.ieor www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/clinical-research.html. -Ends-