Challenges in Sponsor-driven Studies 

U-TRIAL has prioritized uniformity, speed, and predictability in the budget process with external parties. This focus aims to enhance collaboration effectiveness. 

Researchers and trial coordinators experience difficulties in creating an appropriate budget for sponsor-driven studies. Factors such as startup costs, overhead, and higher per-patient costs are challenging to estimate, leading to longer contract negotiation times and a lack of uniformity in budgets within UMC Utrecht.  

In response, U-TRIAL has developed four practical workshops focused on creating budgets for the fourth funding stream. 

Budgeting Strategies 

One of the trainings is "Budgeting Can Be Learned," led by Ward van Beers, the U-TRIAL Trial and Innovation Lead (TIL) for Child Health. Ward guides participants through the challenges and highlights knowledge gaps. For example, how many studies do not include patients? Or what is the average global budget per patient for a clinical trial in a signed contract? By identifying pitfalls and providing practical tips, Ward helps alleviate budget anxiety among researchers. 

Budget Tool 

Additionally, we provide the U-TRIAL Budget Calculator Training. In this training, participants learn to use the U-TRIAL Budget Calculator Tool. This tool allows researchers to enter information such as the study duration, number of patients, and expected overhead, providing a realistic estimate of the necessary startup costs. This gives researchers better insight into the costs associated with their trials.  

By standardizing and harmonizing trial budgets, we aim to strengthen the clinical trial ecosystem within UMC Utrecht. 

Reaching out 

Interested in finding out what U-TRIAL can do for you? Reach out to the team through u-trial@umcutrecht.nl!