CLEAR Center awarded $3.9 million competing renewal

The UW Clinical Learning, Effectiveness And Research (CLEAR) Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders was awarded a $3.9 million competing renewal for five years (through July 2027), sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The competing renewal was a request to re-fund the existing CLEAR Center to continue their current work and embark on new activities. It requires a competitive review process.

The CLEAR Center is led by Director and Professor of Radiology Jeffrey (Jerry) Jarvik, M.D., MPH, Associate Director and Professor of Biostatistics Patrick Heagerty, Ph.D., and Administrative Director and Senior Radiology Research Scientist Engineer Sandra Johnston, Ph.D., R.N.

The Center’s mission is to improve the health of patients with musculoskeletal conditions by providing scientifically rigorous methods and resources for clinical musculoskeletal research. With this renewal, the CLEAR Center will continue the development of scientifically rigorous, state-of-the-art methods for clinical musculoskeletal research; provide resources for conducting such research; and expand the community of investigators performing high-quality clinical research. This will increase the quality and quantity of data useful to clinicians, patients and policy makers as well as facilitate the transformation of traditional health care systems into learning health care systems.

In the first five years of the CLEAR Center, the Center funded six pilot and feasibility awards to support and mentor early-stage musculoskeletal investigators in developing research skills and project portfolios; held more than 80 design studios providing expert, multidisciplinary guidance; and hosted quarterly webinars aimed at disseminating new methodological knowledge. It also made a number of resources and datasets available to musculoskeletal researchers.

To learn more about the CLEAR Center, visit their website.