Call for Research Volunteers
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Research Council invites Active SVS Members to apply for two research task forces:
Innovation Task Force
Vascular surgeons have made tremendous contributions to our field through innovation and development of diagnostics, medical devices, tools, and technologies that help us provide superior patient care. Many SVS members have experience as innovators and entrepreneurs who have partnered with academic medical centers, foundations, investors, incubators, startups, and industry. The SVS would like to advance its efforts in support of vascular surgeon-innovators.
The Innovation Task Force will outline a strategic plan to support vascular surgeons' unique needs in technology development and innovation. Applicants must have experience in innovation and a commitment to confidentially supporting other innovators. Individuals with experience in technology development, intellectual property, options for early commercialization versus industry licensing agreements, and FDA regulatory approval for human use are encouraged to apply.
The task force will address issues related to:
- Development of mechanisms to encourage, foster, and support technology development within the vascular surgery community through collaboration, grants, mentorship, and education.
- Education of members on the basics of technology transfer agreements, non-disclosure agreements, invention disclosures, and intellectual property via provisional and/or issued patents.
- Discuss the pros and cons of early idea development via university-based funding, non-dilutive federal funding, and private/corporate funding support.
- Use of U.S. regulatory pathways leading to different technologies, including software, diagnostics, medical devices, and other implantable/non-implantable therapeutics.
- Development of institutional programs that foster innovation and collaboration between vascular surgeons and other fields/specialties.
- Investigation of industry relations and conflict of interest issues.
Clinical Trials Task Force
Large-scale clinical trials are needed to address significant questions that remain unanswered in vascular surgery. Such efforts will require the support and mentorship of clinical trialists experienced in developing large, multicenter studies.
The Clinical Trials Task Force will outline a strategic plan to promote clinical trials that address critical gaps in evidence for treating patients with vascular diseases and maximize the participation of SVS members in conducting this research.
Success will be optimized through team-based initiatives to address the multiple challenges encountered in initiating and funding such investigations. Partnerships with the SVS Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO) and utilization of the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) infrastructure in executing these trials will be paramount to success.
The task force will address all issues related to enabling large-scale clinical trials, including:
- How to support clinical trialists in developing large, multicenter studies to address significant unanswered questions in vascular surgery.
- How to obtain federal multi-institutional funding for vascular surgery clinical trials.
- How to utilize the VQI infrastructure in the performance of large clinical trials.
- How to develop future vascular surgeon-clinical trialists to promote adequate representation of our specialty in the design, execution, adjudication, monitoring, and publication of clinical trial results.
Please submit a brief statement of interest, including your relevant experience and qualifications (up to 300 words) by Friday, March 8.
Send questions to vascular@vascularsociety.org