CPRIT clinical trials network expands and posts two new RFAs to boost rural trial capacity and trialist recruitment

The CPRIT Clinical Trials Advisory Committee (CTAC) reported Aug. 20 that oversight‑funded clinical trial activity increased across the state and described two new funding opportunities to expand access in rural and underserved communities.

CTAC chair David Gerber told the oversight committee that CPRIT‑supported interventional trials now total 372 (a 17% increase from the prior year), with 147 active trials (a 20% increase) and total cumulative enrollment of 63,782 (up 11%). CTAC also highlighted the geographic reach of CPRIT‑supported observational and interventional trials and the expansion of the Texas clinical trial network to 10 sites, including new partners Covenant Health (Lubbock) and Hendrick Medical Center (Abilene), which extend coverage beyond the I‑35/I‑45 corridor.

Gerber described two RFAs posted earlier in August: the “Bridal Oncology Trials Accelerator Award,” which provides up to $900,000 over three years to establish or enhance clinical trial infrastructure and operational capacity in rural and medically underserved areas (eligible entities include community oncology practices, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, safety net providers and TRAC‑eligible institutions); and the “Recruitment or Retention of Clinical Trialists Award,” which funds recruitment or retention of qualified clinicians to lead cancer clinical research efforts in underserved communities (awards vary by rank from $2 million for assistant professor equivalents up to $3 million for full professor equivalents, up to five years).

CTAC also described CPRIT’s Clinical Trial Participation Award, a program providing reimbursements for trial‑related nonmedical costs (transportation, lodging) on a sliding scale for qualifying Texas residents with household incomes under 700% of the federal poverty level. CTAC noted pilot reimbursement at UT Southwestern and Baylor has reimbursed nearly 100 patients at the UT Southwestern site and that CPRIT‑funded navigation teams can help identify needs and link patients to reimbursement.

CTAC reported operational accomplishments: activation of 28 trials over the past year, 41 trials in startup, wider sponsor/CRO engagement (a webinar drew 160 attendees, including hospital CEOs and CMOs), and partnerships giving network sites earlier access to Genentech trials and increased exposure to IQVIA partners. CTAC recommended continued focus on building site capacity and on recruiting non‑physician clinical research professionals to strengthen site operations.

The oversight committee did not vote on the RFAs at this meeting; CTAC’s presentation framed the RFAs as newly posted opportunities with submission deadlines and anticipated starts in mid‑2026.