Ecosystem of Partners

There are three crucial components to the EQBMED ecosystem, driving us towards our goal – with all efforts centered on clinical trial sites and communities.

Community-based clinical trial sites are at the center of what we do. They enable research aligned with community-identified priorities and needs, driving better patient outcomes.

  • Partners are from organizations focused on four main areas, operational, community-based, faith-based, and professional societies. They all support the local sites in building capabilities and capacity for diverse community engagement and robust clinical research.

  • Sponsors collaborate with sites to shape clinical protocols for more inclusive clinical research and host trials aligned with community priorities.

  • Network Partners coordinate the initiative, provide collaboration and partnership to the learning phase sites, and are responsible for the overall management and governance of EQBMED.

The Network Partners

Yale School of Medicine (YSM)

Yale School of Medicine (YSM) is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research, advanced clinical care, and medical education. YSM’s research ranges from basic science research on the molecular mechanisms and underpinnings of diseases to translational and clinical studies aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment. More than 1,500 Yale physicians provide care to patients from across the region and around the world through Yale Medicine, the school’s clinical practice. With its emphasis on critical thinking and independent student research, YSM has produced leaders in every field of academic medicine. For almost two decades, the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI), the academic home of the NIH NCATS-funded Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA), at the Yale School of Medicine has spearheaded efforts to change the landscape of diversity in clinical trials. YCCI provides infrastructure and training to support clinical research and works to improve the health of all individuals and communities by increasing participation in clinical research in communities of color and marginalized populations.

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)

Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission—the creation and advancement of health equity. 

Morehouse School of Medicine logo

Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Coordinating Center

The RCMI Coordinating Center supports the RCMI Consortium, which has NIH-funded research centers, located in Historically Black, Hispanic and Minority-Serving Institutions, that are leading innovations in health disparities research across diverse communities. 

RCMI logo

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)

VUMC is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers and is one of the most comprehensive research, teaching, and patient care health systems in the Southeast. With a focus on advancing personalized healthcare for people from all backgrounds and populations, VUMC brings unmatched expertise to EQBMED including novel biomedical informatics approaches to trial recruitment and retention and innovative approaches to engaging marginalized and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in clinical research. 

Vanderbilt University Medical Center logo

Executive and Advisory Committees

Two core committees supporting the Network Partners with oversight and advisory input for EQBMED’s learning phase:
The Executive Committee provides high-level operational and strategic guidance and includes the Network Partners along with subject matter experts and leaders from FDA, professional societies, and former industry executives.
The Advisory Committee provides input, advises learning phase activities, and informs key program decision-making and includes representatives from trusted community-based organizations and industry collaborators.

Organizations Represented in the Advisory Committee:

The Learning Phase includes:

  • Connecting Clinical Trial Sponsors: Bringing sponsors and local EQBMED-selected sites together to work as partners.
  • Sharing Key Learnings: Sharing important lessons learned from these partnerships.
  • Building Robust Infrastructure: Creating a strong support system that continues to support the growth and aspirations of local sites.