The role of the National Study Team is vitally important to the Associate PI Scheme and we appreciate your support in making the Associate PI Scheme a success. Through involvement in the API Scheme, the National Study Team plays a part in developing the PIs of the future which is essentially an investment in the future of clinical research.
The main roles to be performed by the National Study Team are to encourage studies to join the Associate PI Scheme, to engage your study sites and Local PIs with the Associate PI Scheme, to engage with Associate PIs to help them complete certain activities on the Associate PI Scheme checklist, and to sign off an Associate PI's checklist at the end of their time on the Scheme. It will mainly be the National Study Team Representative (Normally the study Trial Manager or Study Coordinator) that the Associate PI's will interact with.
Many of the activities should not be time-consuming and should align with much of the work already being undertaken, other tasks are new but, ultimately, should hopefully be of benefit to the study.
For our National Study Teams, we have created some guidance documents that we hope will support you with mentoring your Associate PI, and also some promotional materials that you can use to encourage healthcare professionals at your site to take part in the Associate PI Scheme.