Clinical research aims to advance medical knowledge by studying people, either through direct interaction or through the collection and analysis of blood, tissues, or other samples.
A clinical trial involves research participants. It follows a pre-defined plan or protocol to evaluate the effects of a medical or behavioral intervention on health outcomes. By taking part in clinical trials, participants not only play a more active role in their own health care, but they also can access experimental treatments and help others by contributing to medical research.
Read the What is Clinical Research? text alternative.
The NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website provides more information on NIH-supported clinical research, including information for volunteers, parents and children, health care providers, and researchers.
Clinical researchers: NIH is launching a series of initiatives to enhance the accountability and transparency of clinical research. For information on the changes and how they will affect applicants and funded investigators, visit the Clinical Trial Requirements for Grants and Contracts section of the NIH website.
Find NICHD Clinical Trials
NIH maintains the ClinicalTrials.gov website as the main database of publicly and privately funded clinical trials. Each trial has its own pre-defined research plan or protocol, a specific goal or goals, and specific requirements for eligibility. The database includes studies that are looking for participants, in progress but not looking for participants, stopped, and completed.
NICHD requires that all of its clinical studies be included in the NIH clinical trials database. The NICHD clinical trials link lists all NICHD studies on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
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