Grantee: Professor Nikola Bowden

Administering Institution: University of Newcastle

Grant Title: Targeted cancer clinical trials for regional NSW

Funding (excl.GST): $250,000

There is a need to address gaps in clinical trial support in NSW, particularly in areas of regional NSW where clinical trials support is currently not being delivered. The main aim of the proposed project is to deliver targeted initiatives to enable and scale up clinical trial participation across the Central Coast, Hunter, New England, Mid-North Coast and Northern NSW areas covered by the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network.

Through this project, we will scale up regional clinical trial site participation by developing and delivering educational materials and training workshops on the design and use of electronic data capture for clinical trials; and increase clinical trial participation across sites in Central Coast and Newcastle and surrounding areas that are designated ‘metropolitan’. These areas have high levels of socio-economic disadvantage and do not have access to existing regional clinical trial support schemes.

The outcomes of the project will be increased regional clinical trial sites, and increased opportunities for participation in cancer clinical trials for patients from regional and low socioeconomic background areas not covered by existing clinical trial enabling programs.

Grantee: Professor Anna DeFazio

Administering Institution: The University of Sydney

Grant Title: The Sydney Cancer Partners Clinical Trials Support Grant.

Funding (excl.GST): $250,000

Sydney Cancer Partners (SCP) will pilot a unique program aimed at increasing recruitment of cancer patients from priority populations to clinical trials. This will address the NSW Cancer Plan goal to improve equity and outcomes for priority populations which include members of Aboriginal, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQ+ communities, lower socio-economic groups and elderly patients.

Our approach will be a new SCP funding scheme that supports a high-performing team of cancer clinicians to enhance their current specialist workforce with the specific goal of increasing priority group clinical trial recruitment. This will be coupled with implementation research that will bring an evidence-based approach to addressing challenges as they emerge, and ultimately evaluating the program. A relevant community consumer representative will join the team to facilitate interaction with patients.

Ultimately, this program will test a real-word solution to the complex problem of equitable access to cancer clinical trials. In doing this, it will increase awareness and address current barriers to recruitment. The program acknowledges the excellent outcomes achievable for cancer patients in NSW and will support our dedicated workforce to design solutions in the context of their own unique care environment.

Grantee: Professor Geoff Delaney

Administering Institution: University of New South Wales

Grant Title:Building capacity in Cancer Clinical Trials across Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE).

Funding (excl.GST): $250,000

Identified barriers to access and enrolment in clinical trials across NSW include lower enrolment rates among individuals with a disadvantaged socio-economic status; people living in rural or regional areas; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse populations, variations in clinical trials activity as routine health care delivery across different Local Health Districts (LHDs), lack of staff resources, high clinical trials staff turnover and disruptions to the healthcare sector, such as natural disasters and COVID-19.

Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE), is a collaborative network that includes four universities, two LHDs, two Speciality Health Networks, and several Medical Research Institutes. To address these issues, the SPHERE Cancer Clinical Academic Group will introduce the SPHERE Clinical Trial Support Grant.

The aim of this grant scheme will be to address key capacity issues related to enrolment and workforce in clinical trials in NSW through a targeted call for grant applications from across the SPHERE network.