07/31/2026  |  Kiley Carroll   |  University ofColorado/Anschutz

https://news.cuanschutz.edu/campus-community/making-clinical-research-easier-to-navigate 

Learn how Kiley Vander Wyst, PhD, MPH, and her team are helping connect more people to research studies.

People of CU Anschutz is an occasional series featuring students, faculty and staff who make our campus such a special place to study, work, research and dream. Read more profiles here.

When someone wants to participate in a clinical trial, finding the right opportunity shouldn't feel like a research project of its own. Thanks to the work of Kiley Vander Wyst, PhD, MPH, and a cross-campus team, it's becoming much easier for community members to discover clinical research opportunities at CU Anschutz.

As assistant director of clinical trials operations, Vander Wyst oversees the Clinical Research Recruitment Program, which supports research teams across CU Anschutz, UCHealth and Children's Hospital Colorado. The program helps investigators connect with potential study participants through services like the research studies website, social media campaigns, the Study Spotlight newsletter and educational workshops focused on recruitment best practices.

"The biggest challenge for many clinical trials isn't the science – it's recruitment," Vander Wyst said. "We have incredible research happening across campus, but helping the right people learn about those opportunities can be one of the most time-consuming and costly parts of the process."

Nationally, about one-third of clinical trials do not meet their recruitment goals, often requiring timeline extensions that increase costs and delay discoveries. Recognizing that challenge, CU Anschutz launched the Clinical Research Recruitment Program in late 2023 as part of the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) grant to better support investigators and improve access to research opportunities.

Improving the CU Anschutz Research Studies Website
One of the team's biggest accomplishments has been redesigning the research studies website, a public resource where community members can browse active clinical studies and express interest in participating.

Through the Institute of Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency’s Improvement Academy, they surveyed researchers across campus and partnered with the School of Medicine UX Design team to analyze how people navigated the site and where they encountered challenges.

"We really wanted to hear the voice of our customers," Vander Wyst said. “It was important that we didn't just collect feedback – we acted on it."

The results speak for themselves. Since launching the redesigned site, submissions through the website's "Get Started Now" forms have doubled, connecting significantly more potential participants directly with study teams.

CU Innovation & Efficiency Award Winner
The project recently earned first place in the CU Innovation & Efficiency Awards, recognizing the team's thoughtful, data-driven approach to improving the user experience. They're also preparing a manuscript to share their work with the broader academic community.

But Vander Wyst is quick to point out that the recognition belongs to an entire team.

"This absolutely was a team effort," she said. "It wouldn't have been possible without everyone's expertise and collaboration."

Collaborative Research at Scale
For Vander Wyst, the project reflects what makes CU Anschutz unique.

"I really love working at CU Anschutz because of the collaborative environment," she said. "The partnerships between the university, UCHealth, Children's Hospital Colorado and the VA allow us to do clinical research at a scale that wouldn't be possible otherwise."

Outside of work, Vander Wyst enjoys exploring Colorado's trails with her husband and their 100-pound Bernedoodle, Buck. The couple recently returned from hiking Kauai's breathtaking Kalalau Trail and are steadily working their way through Colorado's famous 14ers.

When asked to describe CU Anschutz in three words, her answer came quickly: collaborative, innovative and welcoming – qualities reflected not only in her own work, but in the team helping connect more people to the research that will change lives.

07/31/2026  |   Frank Vinluan  |  MedCityNews

https://medcitynews.com/2026/07/grove-ai-voice-agent-agentic-clinical-trial-recruitment-hippocratic/ 

Grove AI’s technology uses voice agents to recruit eligible patients for clinical trials. Formed in 2024, the startup’s rapid growth led to its acquisition by Hippocratic AI earlier this year.

chokepoint for drug development, but it’s no picnic for patients either. Physicians may be able to suggest a trial or two, but it’s hard for them to keep up with all of the drugs in clinical development, said Tran Le, co-founder of Grove AI. More often than not, patients are directed to conduct their own searches on a clunky federal database of clinical trials.

Grove AI gives patients an easier and more intuitive alternative: Just pick up the phone and talk.

“When we started two years ago and we pitched our simple voice call agent to the industry, people told us we were dreaming and we were crazy and that it would never happen,” Le said. “Now, we get trial protocols from [clinical trial] sponsors. And in these trial protocols, they write down exact tasks that the [AI] agent should do and that the humans should do.”

Grove’s technology uses AI agents to automate many clinical trial recruitment tasks that have historically been handled by a human. These agents interact with patients, helping them find the clinical trial that’s a fit for their disease. Whereas a human recruiter recruits for one trial at a time, a Grove agent has information about many trials and can recruit for multiple studies. After forming in 2024, Grove raised $4.9 million in seed financing the following year. In January of this year, Hippocratic AI acquired Grove for an undisclosed sum. It’s a journey that began in the personal experiences of Grove’s founders.

Le and co-founder Sohit Gatiganti worked at Stanford Medicine, where they used their training as AI engineers to help the hospital manage various aspects of clinical trials conducted there. Le said the work showed them just how slow and manual clinical trial recruitment was. But Le’s perspective was also informed by her own experience as a patient trying to enroll in several clinical trials. She said she encountered clinical research coordinators who were inundated with thousands of inquiries. She also found herself poring through long, confusing documents about trial requirements.

When Le and Gatiganti launched Grove in 2024, AI technology had reached an inflection point with respect to voice capabilities. Large language models could generate outputs in real time and then convert those outputs to voice, Le said. That enabled the technology to take a clinical trial recruitment process that has been very document driven and turn it into a conversation. This capability helps both Grove and the patient, Gatiganti said. Many patients prefer to handle health matters by speaking, and this free and open communication enables Grove to gather more data on what trials may be a fit for the patient.

“It’s much easier to actually go through on the phone, like five questions, ask follow-ups, get everything sorted out in five minutes, versus sending someone a five-page PDF to fill out, sending it back and trying to go back and forth asynchronously,” Gatiganti said.

Grove’s customers are pharma companies, contract research organizations, and clinical trial sites that use the technology under a software-as-a-service business model. The company works with these customers to identify the trials that are currently enrolling, capturing data about the studies in order to understand what questions to ask a patient.

Grove does not market its offerings directly to patients. Le said patients learn about the voice agent option through pharma company outreach to disease groups and clinical sites as well as online advertising. Patients who consent to receive more information may receive a call. Alternatively, the patient may initiate the call. Either way, the technology is transparent that it is an AI agent acting on behalf of the customer. While Grove’s initial agent was named Grace, it goes by different names depending on the pharma company.

If a patient is ineligible for any trials, the agent can send a notification when a suitable trial does start recruiting. Right now, the Grove agents are only available for trials in the U.S., but the company aims to expand to other countries in the future. Gatiganti noted that the agents are multilingual. Besides English, the languages covered include Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, and the company continues to add more. The agent can also switch languages in real time. For patients who prefer to tap on a screen, the technology supports text messages.

Despite encountering some initial skepticism, Gatiganti said the Grove technology proved itself by solving a real pharma company need: recruiting eligible patients to clinical trial sites quickly. Word spread among sites and sponsors. Hippocratic heard too. Le said Grove was not looking to be acquired, but Hippocratic approached the startup, seeing it as a fit for its growing business serving the life sciences sector. Both Le and Gatiganti are now general managers in Hippocratic’s newly established life sciences division.

Le sees Grove’s technology as part of a broader effort to make pharma companies “AI native.” While there’s a lot of industry focus on using AI for drug discovery, she said an AI native pharma company will apply these technologies across the continuum with humans and agents working together. Trial screening and recruitment is just one piece. Le said Grove’s future plans include building agents for the post-enrollment period to answer questions from patients and improve their clinical trial experience. Agents could help after the trial or even after a drug is approved. Beyond educating clinicians about a new drug, Le said agents might also help them navigate co-pays and prior authorizations.

“That is our vision right now,” she said. “It’s going to constantly evolve as AI models get better. But we think there’s a huge opportunity for the whole industry here to really take AI and accelerate to bring therapies to market faster.”

07/31/2026  |  Christian Schmidt  |  PharmExec.com

https://www.pharmexec.com/view/real-time-data-analytics-vital-next-evolution-clinical-trials 

Clinical trials now generate 5.9 million datapoints per Phase III protocol — and most sponsors are still managing them manually.

Real-time data (RTD) offers exciting opportunities to empower clinical trial teams with the trusted, actionable insight that is vital for successful and meaningful research. It allows sponsors to react quickly to bottlenecks and potential issues like deviation from study protocol––before they jeopardize trial integrity.

But, with teams already grappling with data management and analysis challenges, there are significant hurdles which need to be overcome––including analysis capacity, data integration and consistency––if the true potential of RTD is unlocked.

In a modern data environment, sponsors need to move away from old, resource-intensive and inefficient processes and adopt unified, holistic approaches to data management and analytics. The most effective way to do this is via analytics platforms which harmonize data into stable, continuous models which support reusable, scalable oversight workflows. Use of such platforms can streamline previously resource-heavy processes, improve decision-making and help sponsors not just cope with the complex data landscape of today but thrive during the next evolution in clinical trials.

Data delays, fragmentation, and a lack of scalability
The volume of data collected in clinical trials is growing. Recent analysis found 5.9 million datapoints are now collected on average per phase III protocol––up 11% annually since 2020.1 This is putting a strain on data managers––more than 6 in 10 pharma companies report struggling to keep up with data overload.2 A large part of the problem is that traditional data management approaches are resource intensive and prone to user error even when carried out by highly skilled staff. With so much manual work required, periodic reviews can take place days, or even weeks, after data is collected, resulting in delayed detection of potential protocol deviations and adverse events.

At the same time, while access to RTD is crucial, not all data has the same level of relevance. Around a third of data points collected in Phase II and III trials are not needed for the study’s key analysis.1 This, along with recent Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidance, highlights the importance of tools which allow clinical teams to focus on critical data which has the greatest impact on data integrity, patient safety and overall trial success.3

A further challenge comes from a lack of integration of increasingly disparate data sources. While web-based, electronic data capture systems (EDCs) bring multiple advantages, they also make it harder to maintain data quality.4 Even when data is integrated, it can lack the consistency needed to ensure it is meaningful and decision ready. This challenge is exacerbated by variation across different systems and sites which results in data silos, inconsistencies and further inefficiencies. At the same time, traditional site monitoring approaches lack the flexibility needed to cope with the demands of decentralized, hybrid and emerging clinical trial models.

The power of real-time data analytics
Advanced analytics platforms harness innovations in AI and data science to enhance insights in clinical trials and overcome the challenges outlined above. Such platforms, which include AI-powered data review and predictive modelling, empower data teams to accurately assess and delve deeper into vast amounts of operational, clinical and safety data and take effective action more quickly. They offer a holistic approach to clinical operations, safety, medical monitoring and risk-based quality management (RBQM).

A key feature of advanced analytics platforms in an RTD era is the provision of data visualizations which combine fragmented, unstructured data sets into user-friendly representations. This solution has several advantages. Visualizations have been shown to help identify data and process issues early and aid cross-functional communication and review, reducing the time to database lock and improving overall data integrity.5 Interactive elements mean, rather than spending time trying to analyze data in sub-optimal formats, data management teams can instead explore and render rich information from a single view, gaining a deeper understanding of the data and addressing anomalies quickly and effectively. This ability to understand and act on data quickly will only become more important as RTD is increasingly utilized in clinical trials.

Another key feature of advanced analytics platforms is centralized dashboards which bring together critical data from multiple sites in real time. By providing clinical teams with a holistic view of the whole trial, such tools allow seamless management across clinical trial phases, reducing siloed processes and helping to prepare for a potential continuous model of drug development. A shared suite of tools also helps to increase cross-team collaboration and raise awareness of the work of the data management function.

Use case 1: Enhancing recruitment forecasting
Around 8 in 10 clinical trials fail to meet initial enrollment targets resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue a day for pharma companies.6 Two common recruitment challenges are an inability to quickly identify bottlenecks and a lack of real-time, relevant information to inform effective solutions. Use of an advanced analytics platform which harnesses advanced statistical methods and includes data visualizations, can provide new insights into recruitment efforts and help pharma companies apply effective solutions.

For example, advanced statistical modeling can predict participant progression and treatment admins timelines, accounting for late site openings and RTD updates, to optimize site performance and avoid costly delays. Integration of a novel Kaplan-Meier model can enable different countries to optimize sites based on the probability of participant progression. Staff can be empowered with RTD updates, customized forecast filtering and the ability to actively reallocate participants based on the latest data.

Together, these capabilities demonstrate how RTD can help to overcome one of the earliest barriers to clinical trial success, overcome recruitment challenges and optimize participant distribution across global clinical trials.

Use case 2: Elevating medical monitoring
Medical monitoring is one of the most important aspects of any clinical trial. However, traditional approaches like 100% source data verification (SDV) are time-consuming, leave room for error, and provide only a limited data view. In contrast, advanced analytics platforms which incorporate RBQM tools use near-RTD to help clinical operations teams focus on high-risk areas, enhance data integrity and improve patient safety.7 Centralized monitoring and RBQM have been backed in GCP guidance which emphasizes the importance of adopting proportionate risk-based approaches in clinical trials.3

A key benefit of RBQM is its capacity for near real-time alerts on issues like protocol violations, data quality inconsistencies, persistent data entry delays or unusually low adverse event reporting. Automated risk assessments and heatmaps identify sites which deviate from expected performance, supporting adaptive site monitoring and allowing sponsors to focus resources on high-risk sites before they can cause delays or compromise overall data integrity.

Again, this ability to concentrate resources where they are needed most and react in near real-time is vital for sponsors looking to remain competitive in an evolving clinical trial landscape.

The next evolution of clinical trials
RTD has the potential to unlock a new era of discovery in clinical trials, ensuring treatments are safer and more effective for more diverse patients than ever before. However, with many sponsors still relying on outdated manual processes, it also presents a major data management challenge for the industry. As sponsors begin to adapt, it is important to remember that the successful use of RTD is not about speed alone. What will be crucial is access to standardized, clinically-meaningful data which supports informed decision making.

Advanced analytics platforms combine new technologies like AI with advanced statistical methodologies to ensure all data is consistent, trustworthy and meaningful. Sponsors looking to seize the opportunities of RTD should look for platforms which make data accessible, consumable and actionable in real time for users and are scalable across multiple phases and trials. Those that do will be able to harness the power of RTD in a meaningful way and give themselves the best chance of success in an evolving clinical trial landscape. Those that do not will be left behind.

Sources

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43441-025-00899-4
2. https://ccrps.org/clinical-research-blog/challenges-in-clinical-trial-data-management
3. https://database.ich.org/sites/default/files/ICH_E6%28R3%29_Step4_FinalGuideline_2025_0106.pdf
4. https://www.dovepress.com/bridging-the-past-and-future-of-clinical-data-management-the-transform-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OAJCT
5. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-5329-1_19
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7673977/
7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43441-021-00295-8

07/30/2026 | fundforNGOs

https://www2.fundsforngos.org/innovation/apply-for-clinical-cancer-research-funding-programme/amp/ 

Deadline: 23-Nov-2026

The Clinical Cancer Research Program supports clinical studies that aim to advance cancer treatment and improve outcomes for patients.

The program is offered by the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR) and focuses on funding innovative interventional clinical trials that have the potential to make a meaningful impact on cancer care.

The program supports research that addresses:

• Improving cancer treatment approaches.
• Reducing the burden of disease and treatment.
• Detecting cancer earlier.
• Improving patient quality of life.

Program Objectives
The program aims to:

• Support patient-centered cancer clinical trials.
• Improve treatment options for cancer patients.
• Encourage innovative approaches in cancer care.
• Advance evidence-based clinical research.
• Support investigators conducting high-impact clinical trials.

Research Areas Supported
The program focuses on three main research areas:

Therapy Optimization
Projects may focus on:

• Improving existing cancer treatments.
• Developing better treatment strategies.
• Optimizing therapies to improve patient outcomes.

Disease and Treatment Burden
Projects may address:

• Reducing side effects of cancer treatments.
• Improving quality of life.
• Minimizing the physical and emotional burden of cancer.

Early Detection and Intervention
Projects may explore:

• Earlier cancer diagnosis.
• Improved screening approaches.
• Early clinical interventions.

Supported Clinical Trial Types
RTFCCR supports:

• Phase I clinical trials
• Phase II clinical trials
• Phase III clinical trials

Eligible studies must be:

• Interventional.
• Patient-focused.
• Designed to improve cancer treatment or patient outcomes.

Funding Details
Funding Amount: USD 100,000 per year of trial duration
Funding Purpose: Support for clinical research activities
Funding Limitation: Does not cover the full cost of clinical trials
Applicants should have additional resources or funding arrangements to complete the full clinical trial.

What the Program Does Not Fund
The program does not support:

• Basic laboratory research.
• Observational studies.
• Epidemiological studies.
• Clinical trials designed to generate commercial revenue for start-ups.
• Trials primarily benefiting pharmaceutical companies.

Who Is Eligible?
Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Researcher Eligibility
Applicants must:

• Hold a doctoral degree.
• Have a faculty appointment or equivalent position.
• Be affiliated with an academic institution or research institution during the award period.

Both of the following groups are encouraged to apply:

• Early-career investigators.
• Established investigators.

Investigator Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate:

• Independence as clinical investigators.
• Experience in clinical trial management.
• Ability to meet project milestones and timelines.
• Knowledge of human participant protection requirements.

Institutional Requirements
The applicant’s institution must demonstrate:

• Commitment to the proposed research.
• Support for clinical trial implementation.
• Ability to conduct the proposed activities.

Geographic and Cancer Type Eligibility
The program has:

• No geographical restrictions.
• No cancer type restrictions.

International research teams are welcome to apply.

Patient Partner Requirement
Applications must include:

• Meaningful patient partner involvement.

Applicants who do not currently meet this requirement may apply for a:

• Pre-application grant to support patient partnership development.

How the Program Works
The funding process involves:

1. Researchers develop an innovative clinical trial proposal.
2. Applicants demonstrate scientific value and patient impact.
3. Patient partners are included in the research design.
4. Eligible proposals undergo review.
5. Selected investigators receive funding support during the trial period.
6. Researchers conduct clinical studies according to approved milestones.

How to Apply
Applicants should:

1. Confirm eligibility requirements.
2. Develop an investigator-led clinical trial proposal.
3. Ensure the study is an eligible Phase I, II, or III interventional trial.
4. Includes patient partner involvement.
5. Prepare application materials in English.
6. Submit the application according to program requirements.

Tips for a Strong Application
Applicants can strengthen their proposals by:

• Clearly explaining patient benefits.
• Demonstrating clinical significance.
• Providing realistic trial timelines.
• Showing strong trial management capabilities.
• Including meaningful patient involvement.
• Explaining how results may improve cancer care.
• Demonstrating institutional support.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:

• Submitting basic research proposals.
• Proposing observational studies instead of clinical trials.
• Failing to include patient partners.
• Requesting funding without considering additional trial costs.
• Submitting applications without evidence of clinical trial expertise.
• Proposing studies mainly designed for commercial benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Clinical Cancer Research Programme?

It is a funding programme supporting innovative clinical trials that improve cancer treatment options and patient quality of life.

2. How much funding is available?

RTFCCR provides USD 100,000 per year of trial duration. The funding does not cover the complete cost of clinical trials.

3. What types of clinical trials are supported?

The programme supports Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III interventional clinical trials.

4. Who can apply?

Researchers with a doctoral degree and a faculty or equivalent position at an academic or research institution can apply.

5. Are international applicants eligible?

Yes. The programme has no geographic restrictions and welcomes international research teams.

6. Are all cancer types eligible?

Yes. The programme does not restrict applications based on cancer type.

7. Is patient involvement required?

Yes. Applications must include patient partner involvement. Researchers without this component may apply for a pre-application grant.

Key Takeaways

• Supports investigator-led clinical cancer trials.
• Funds Phase I–III interventional studies.
• Provides USD 100,000 per year of trial duration.
• Focuses on therapy optimization, treatment burden, and early detection.
• Requires patient partner involvement.
• Open to international research teams.
• Supports both early-career and established investigators.

Conclusion
The Clinical Cancer Research Programme by the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research provides important support for innovative clinical trials focused on improving cancer care. By prioritizing patient-centred research, international collaboration, and high-impact clinical studies, the programme helps advance new treatment approaches and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

For more information, visit RTFCCR.

07/30/2026 | Infarmed

https://www.infarmed.pt/web/infarmed/infarmed/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_0000/15786/13402437?p_p_state=pop_up&_56_INSTANCE_0000_page=1&_56_INSTANCE_0000_viewMode=print 

On Thursday, Portugal authorized its first clinical trial as a Reporting Member State under the European pilot project "Facilitating and Accelerating Strategic Clinical Trials in the EU/EEA" (FAST-EU). This move meets the new, shortened 70-day deadline and reinforces the country's position in implementing this European initiative.

FAST-EU is a joint initiative by the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA), the Clinical Trials Coordination Group (CTCG), and MedEthics EU. Developed within the scope of the "Accelerating Clinical Trials in the European Union" (ACT EU) project, it tests a new assessment model designed to accelerate the authorization of multinational clinical trials in the European Union.

Portugal is participating in eight of the 23 clinical trials selected for submission via this European mechanism, highlighting Infarmed's strong involvement in the pilot project's implementation. To date, five clinical trials have been authorized, and three are currently under assessment; the new 70-day deadline is expected to be met for these, representing a significant reduction compared to the current regulatory timeframe of 106 days.

The FAST-EU pilot project anticipates some of the changes to the European Clinical Trials Regulation planned under the future European legislative initiative for biotechnology (the "Biotech Act"). The project aims to demonstrate that it is possible to accelerate regulatory assessment procedures while maintaining the high standards of quality, safety, and scientific rigor required for clinical trial authorization. By actively participating in this initiative, Portugal contributes to the consolidation of a more agile and harmonized regulatory system, reinforcing Europe's attractiveness for conducting multinational clinical trials and promoting faster citizen access to therapeutic innovation.