The Research Support Unit offers a broad range of services to help CHRIM researchers accomplish their research goals.  

At an institutional level, we support activities related to research through the development of partnerships with academic and clinical departments as well as with other organizations that support research.  

At a project design level, we provide patient engagement support to help researchers connect with patients who play an active role in the research process, from research design input, to collection of data and sharing results.

At the research level, our team provides services to both experienced and new researchers. These services include:

Pre-Study:

• Study feasibility review/resourcing
• Budget development and negotiation
• Account set-up 
• Contract facilitation
• Research Ethics Board (REB) submission
• Impact submissions
• Health Information Privacy Committee (HIPC) submission
• Health Canada submission (CTA)
• Document creation
• On-boarding, orientation and training of staff hired by clinical researchers.
• Connecting with patient/family partners*

During Study:

• Full study management 
• Study coordination
• Screening, consenting and enrolling participants
• Study visits (including scheduling and follow-up)
• Data collection, entry and query resolution
• Specimen/sample collection, preliminary processing, and shipping
• Study drug handling
• Invoice and fund management
• REB and Impact amendments and annual reports
• Document management
• Research nursing
• Phlebotomy
• Densitometry
• Sonography
• Set-up patient advisory group*
• Run focus groups*

Post-Study:

• REB and Impact closure
• Fund clean-up and closure
• Final sponsor reports as required
• Support knowledge translation to patients/families*

*Patient/family partners are those with lived experience who become partners in the project and can be actively engaged in governance, priority setting, developing the research questions, and even performing certain parts of the research itself. Patient/family partners are different from research participants.

Our qualified team can support a researcher in the hiring, training and orientation of their research staff by facilitating the onboarding process and providing access to TCPS-2, Good Clinical Practice and Division 5, PHIA, WHMIS, and Transport of Dangerous Goods training.

From time to time, a researcher will require services not currently provided through the RSU.  In these cases, the RSU will make every attempt to assist the researcher in securing these services from one of our partner organizations.

How to access RSU services

Studies

Researchers looking to access RSU services are asked to complete the RSU Intake form. Upon receipt of the completed form, a full review of the proposed project and staff requirements will be completed. The Program Manager will then arrange an in-person meeting to review the research needs and complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the researcher. Once the MOU is signed, the RSU will begin work on the study.  

Occasional Services

Once an MOU is in place, researchers wishing to schedule RSU services like phlebotomy, sonography, and research assistant services are asked to complete the RSU Request for Services form. If DXA Services are required, please complete the RSU DXA Scan Requisition form. The RSU administrative assistant will coordinate the provision of these services. If requested services are no longer needed, please inform the RSU immediately. If sufficient notice is given and the service provider can be notified in time, no services will be charged to the study. In circumstances where the requested services are no longer needed (i.e. the study participant did not attend the appointment), the study will be charged for the length of appointment if 48 hours’ notice is not provided. 

Patient Engagement (PE)

Researchers looking for patient engagement support can now access this service through the Research Support Unit. Researchers are invited to complete the patient engagement intake form before an initial consultation is set-up. Requests can be made at any stage of the project. The first 3 hours of PE support are free of charge to CHRIM members.

PE services include the following:

• Facilitation of first five meetings of project or program-specific patient advisory groups to establish structure, guiding principles, and necessary training
• Facilitate focus groups as requested
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings, including preparing presentations and additional materials as needed
• Collect, analyze, report and present patient and family feedback data

Cost Framework

The service fee is dependent on the complexity of the service requested and the funding for the trial. Most services are offered on a cost-recovery basis for the staff time required. Industry-funded trials have a separate fee structure.  

Industry Funded Fee Structure

Position	Hourly Rate
Densitometry Technologist (DXA)	Separate fee structure
Phlebotomist	$65
Research coordinator	$70
Research nurse	$65
Research assistant (Tech 3)	$50
Quality/Regulatory coordinator	$55
Sonographor	Separate fee structure

New researchers

Researcher members who have never before accessed RSU services may access up to 10 hours of complimentary service. Complimentary services are limited to:

• Study feasibility review
• Budget development, negotiation, feasibility review
• Account set-up 
• Contract facilitation
• REB submission
• Impact submissions
• Data access submissions
• Patient engagement support

Costs associated with complimentary service hours are supported by CHRIM.