The application period for the 2026 course is now closed. The deadline to apply was January 21, 2026.

If you are interested to receive information about the 2027 course or future cycles, please use the form at the bottom of the page to join our mailing list. The application period for the 2027 course will open in late 2026.

Yes! Key dates for the 2027 course can be found below. We will open for applications for the 2027 course cycle in December 2026.

Please use the form at the bottom of the page to join our mailing list to receive information about future cycles including 2027.

Key dates for 2027:

• Open to applications - Dec 1, 2026

• Informational Webinar - December 2026 - exact date TBD

• Application deadline - Jan 20, 2027

• Trainee Orientation - TBD, March 2027

• Course activities - March-July 2027

• Residential meeting - June 21-24, 2027 (in-person attendance is required)

We will add additional information as it becomes available. Join our mailing list at the bottom of the page to receive updates via email.

We will open to applications for the 2026 course on December 1, 2025.

For reference, you may review the 2025 application instructions for the full application requirements (we expect the 2026 instructions to be very similar to 2025). Your application will include a brief description of your proposed clinical trial & its significance, the target funding mechanisms for your trial, and information about your team and mentor.

The last page of the application instructions provides a linked template for you to organize your application materials. Please export the template into a word document, complete each section, and combine all materials into one PDF document. You will submit your application via a REDCap survey form which includes a place to upload your complete application package. 

The CTMC is designed to train early career investigators and biostatisticians to develop scientifically rigorous, yet practical, clinical trial protocols related to the clinical neurosciences. The 2026 course will include 3 tracks:

• Foundation track: Investigators who have not previously designed their own prospective, interventional clinical trial. Projects in this track will typically be single-center and early phase.

• Advanced track: Investigators who are proposing a large, multi-center trial. Investigators in the advanced track will typically have prior clinical trials experience as a site PI or co-investigator, although for some rare or pediatric diseases, a multi-center trial may be required for the initial trial.

• Biostatistics Track: The biostatistics track is an opportunity for early-career biostatisticians to get hands-on experience developing clinical trials across a range of neurological disease-areas and design types.

The CTMC welcomes projects representing a wide range of specialties who are performing neuroscience-based research. Investigators from across the country are eligible to apply.

We are looking for applicants who are designing a clinical trial that involves an intervention (drug, device, behavioral intervention, etc.) that is delivered to a participant with a neurological condition. Investigators who participate in the course should intend to submit the developed project for funding and carry out the study as the trial leader.

A single arm study looking at the association between a biomarker and a neurological outcome would generally NOT be well suited for our course even if a clinical trial may be the correct next scientific step for the research. However, a single arm trial (futility design) that delivers an intervention would be considered for the course. Trials that incorporate historical controls are eligible as well, if appropriate for the specific disease area. Studies in pediatric populations and/or rare diseases are encouraged to apply.

Yes, we strongly encourage investigators with clinical trials related to neurological rare diseases to apply. The course follows the NIH definition of a rare disease which is a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

All applications are reviewed by our expert multidisciplinary executive committee. Reviewers assign a numerical score (NIH scale 1-9) to each application and provide comments.

Applications are then discussed by the executive committee during a closed session. The committee will sometimes request additional information from applicants if there are portions of the application that are unclear.

Applications are evaluated based on scientific merit and initial feasibility. The executive committee also considers which projects are best suited to benefit from the overall structure of the course.

Applicants who are not accepted into the course are provided with brief feedback which the committee hopes will help strengthen their proposals for future resubmission.

Yes, we strongly encourage persons who have previously applied but not been accepted to re-apply to the program. We strive to offer constructive feedback during the review process that can strengthen your application for resubmission.

There are many paths to a successful application, and it is difficult to provide specific guidelines because the CTMC is open to such a wide range of project types and disease areas. In general, applications that clearly articulate the proposed trial concept and rationale are highly regarded. It is also beneficial if the review committee is able to clearly understand the next steps that the applicant would take if their proposed trial is successful (e.g., move on to a phase III trial).

We also suggest that applicants consider the ‘Common Application Pitfalls’ listed below.

Residents are not eligible to apply.

Fellows are eligible to apply. This course is designed for applicants who have ownership of their project (principal investigator) and will be able to navigate the project through its initiation and completion. Historically, it has been challenging for fellows to meet this requirement. Institutional support from the department chair should describe the commitment to supporting the fellow during the course and as they carry out their research.

Yes, but it must be reviewed and co-signed by the department chair. The letter must also address the feasibility of performing a clinical trial within the timeline of your training.

Absolutely. Please make sure that your department chair at the new institution completes the chair letter for your application. Also, we would prefer that your local mentor be at your new institution to facilitate the conduct of the trial. Please note that if you are starting your first faculty position after fellowship, we have historically found it difficult for trainees to have adequate time to participate in the CTMC due to added responsibilities.

• Too ambitious of a study in scale or in translation of science

• Underpowered efficacy studies

• Drug, device, and/or technology to be utilized is not actually available for use in the trial

• Drug, device, and/or technology is unclear if it is practical and safe for humans

• Clinical trials are not allowed in NINDS R21 planning grants. Applicants should consider CTSA and foundation funded research grants to obtain pilot data.

• Please adhere to the page limits. You can make the references hyperlinks to save on space. Applications that go over the page limit typically can improve on focus and clarity.

• Please consider reviewing the following tutorial on Pilot and Feasibility studies - Thabane, Lehana, et al. "A tutorial on pilot studies: the what, why and how." BMC medical research methodology 10.1 (2010): 1.

The CTMC course requires an ongoing time commitment from both the trainee participant and their mentor. Applicants are required to obtain a letter of support from their Department Chair that includes a commitment for protected research time throughout the duration of the course.

Spring/Summer Phase (March - June): You will spend at least 3-5 hours per week working on assignments, reviewing course material, participating in small group meetings, and attending webinars virtually. A copy of the 2025 syllabus is available here.

Residential course (June 15-18 in Indianapolis, IN): The residential course is a 4-day, in-person meeting. Course participants are expected to attend the entirety of the meeting and be free from clinical, teaching, and other professional responsibilities. A copy of the 2025 residential course agenda is available here.

• Monday: Travel day with a welcome session and dinner in the late afternoon and evening.

• Tuesday: Lectures, small group meetings and faculty office hours from 8:00am – 5:00pm. Networking dinner with your small group in the evening.

• Wednesday: Lectures, small group meetings and faculty office hours from 8:00am – 5:00pm. Large group dinner in the evening.

• Thursday: Lectures, small group meetings and faculty office hours from 8:00am – 12:00pm. Attendees will depart for travel in the afternoon.

Summer/Fall Phase (July – September): You will continue to spend 2-3 hours per week working on your project and participating in small group meetings, as well as preparing for and participating in a mock study section.

From a previous trainee:

“[Prior to the course] I spent about 4-6 hours per week in writing grant application and protocol for my project. One of the great advantages of the course is the ability to get expert, independent feedback on the proposed project. I wanted to have strong working application in advance of starting the course so [I] could hit the ground running.

During the course, I spent 4-8 hours per week working on the grant application/protocol submissions including writing, prep work (e.g. surveying patients, meeting with collaborators, discussions with funding agency, etc.). This is work I would have been doing whether I took the [course] or not. I spent an additional 1-2 hours per week with formal seminars.”

Yes, the 2025 - 2029 cohorts will include an advanced track focused on multi-center trials. Investigators in the advanced track should have experience working with clinical trials, often as a site PI or a co-investigator. These projects will be geared towards submission to one of the NINDS funded networks (i.e. SIREN, NeuroNEXT, StrokeNet). 

Certainly! Our course is for people who are designing clinical trials (that are interventions delivered to humans). 

It is targeted towards someone who would be the scientific leader and creator of that clinical trial (i.e. the principal investigator). Having a mentor is expected; their role should be to help you implement YOUR project. You would be the first author on the main publication that was derived from the clinical trial you designed. In addition, we would generally expect that you would be listed as the Principal Investigator on the informed consent document used for the trial.

It would not be helpful for you if the goal is for you to assist the scientific leader of the clinical experiment in the conduct of the trial (i.e. if someone else is telling you what to do and you are in more of a project manager type role.)

No. Early career biostatisticians who are interested in participating in the course should email us at ninds.ctmc@virginia.edu to discuss their eligibility.

If you currently have the grant for this project submitted to NIH as a proposal, the timing of the course may not be a good fit. If you are in some preliminary step (including proposal review at StrokeNet, NeuroNEXT, SIREN), the course may be a good fit - we would recommend you ask your contacts with the relevant CCC and DCC if they think you might benefit from the course. Issues arise when NIH peer review and our course provide you with different suggestions for improving your design, so projects submitted as proposals to NIH and currently under review are not a good fit. If you have submitted once, have summary statements and were not funded the course may be a good way for you to improve your project, assuming the timing for a resubmission is November after the course or later.

An alumni of the course stated, "I feel that the return on investment for this course is high. Independent feedback on [my] grant submission is invaluable to help identify strengths and weaknesses with [the] protocol. I made numerous changes to the methods for the project based on feedback through the [course]. The mock study section was also great." 

No, that is generally not a good fit for the course. However, if you want to work on the design for the follow-up study (knowing that there will be specific parts that will be informed by your ongoing project) then that will be considered and may be a better experience.

No, there is no cost to the course participants. The residential portion of the course requires travel, but travel (within the U.S.) and accommodations are provided by course funds.

We are not aware of other similar project-based courses in clinical trial design. All are welcome to view our webinars that are archived and available on our website.

Persons who have already completed the course in past years are eligible to apply again with a new or revised clinical trial project. Your application should include an explanation of why you believe that participating in the course again would be beneficial. The review committee will consider this during their evaluation.