The Clinical Research Forum (formerly known as the Academic Health Centers Clinical Research Forum) initially was formed in 1996 to discuss the unique and complex challenges to clinical research in academic health centers. Over the past decade, it has convened leaders in clinical research annually and has provided a forum for discussing common issues and interests in the full spectrum of translational research. Through its activities, the Forum has enabled sharing of best practices in clinical research and increasingly has played a national advocacy role in support of the broader interests and needs of clinical research.

An important role that has emerged for the Forum is the sustaining of a cadre of well-trained clinical and translational investigators at all stages of their careers. A critical factor in supporting clinical and translational investigators is to ensure there is a comprehensive clinical research capacity within academic research institutions that will enable these investigators to effectively carry out their research over time.

Governed by a Steering Committee constituted of clinical research leaders from nine member institutions, the Forum has grown to sixty members from leading academic health centers across the country.

The Forum’s Annual Meeting is recognized for: a) addressing an increasingly broad vision of the key contemporary issues in clinical research; b) providing a venue that enables collective analysis, advocacy and action; and c) enhancing communication among academic health centers in clinical research.

More recently, the Forum also has reached beyond academic health centers to engage other leaders in the clinical research enterprise including leaders from government, foundations, other not-for-profit organizations and industry in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the clinical research enterprise.

The Forum’s membership is composed of the leading U.S. academic health centers in the United States. Parallel with our widening focus upon the broad needs of the entire National Clinical Research Enterprise, the Forum has become committed to working in those areas where it is uniquely positioned to have a significant impact. It plans to approach these issues collaboratively with other organizations with similar goals and synergizing with their efforts in related areas where it is most efficient. Focusing its strengths and avoiding duplication or dispersion of efforts is a basic principle of the Forum’s operations.

Several other organizations share some of the Forum’s goals; however, the Forum is a unique national resource for advancing the clinical research agenda in several fashions and singularly is focused on the nation’s clinical research agenda.