Programme Manager - Blockchain and AI-Enabled Stratified Trial System

Title: BESTS Programme Manager

Department: FutureNeuro Research Centre, RCSI

Tenure: Specified purpose contract for up to 3 years

Location: 123 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2

Reporting to: Professor Gianpiero Cavalleri

Start Date: Immediately

About FutureNeuro and RCSI

Established in 2017, FutureNeuro is the national research centre focused on chronic and rare neurological diseases, funded by Science Foundation Ireland and based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Led by Prof. David Henshall, FutureNeuro brings together multidisciplinary scientific teams with clinicians and industry to deliver advances in diagnostic medicine, personalized and network therapeutics, cross-linked by a national e-Health infrastructure platform that is disease-focused. The mission of FutureNeuro is to accelerate discoveries on genetic diagnosis and advanced molecular treatments supported by enabling e-health technology for chronic and rare neurological diseases. Building initially on internationally recognized strengths in epilepsy and motor neuron disease research, the Centre has emerging research programmes in other chronic and rare neurological diseases.

RCSI has been at the forefront of educating healthcare professionals since 1784 when we were founded as the national training and professional body for surgery. Today we are Ireland’s only focused health sciences university, Ireland’s largest medical school and one of the leading health sciences institutions in the world. Based in Dublin, with students from over 80 countries and four overseas campuses, RCSI has a global reach through our network of Alumni in 97 countries. RCSI ranks among top 2% of universities in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.

Position summary:

Clinical trials are an important step in the development of new healthcare treatments. The global value of the clinical trial market is expected to reach over $60 billion by 2026. However, the industry faces several challenges. For example, 20-40% of clinical trials fail due to poor patient recruitment. Delays in recruitment can result in financial losses of up to $8 million per day. In this context a consortium of clinicians, academic researchers, and industry partners has come together to develop a “Blockchain and AI-Enabled Stratified Trial System” (BESTS) solution that will leverages the power of multiomics big data to connect the data subject (citizen) to clinical trials and other research projects. BESTS will provide a secure, trustworthy and GDPR-compliant platform that will enable patients to be matched to, and make their data available for use in, clinical trials or other research studies.

Purpose of the role:

The BESTS programme manager will monitor the progress of each BESTS work package to ensure that work expectations are clearly defined from the outset, lines of communication are clear between the parties involved, and deliverables are achieved within budget, timeframe and meet necessary quality requirements. The successful candidate will also maintain the legal and contractual framework underpinning the consortium.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with all members of the BESTS consortium
• Monitor progress of BESTS programme workpackages in accordance with DTIF contractual obligations
• Manage integration of the socio-technical elements of the BESTS programme
• Identify and manage BESTS programme dependencies
• Identify, assess and promptly address BESTs programme risks
• Create and implement communications plan with members of the BESTS consortium
• Communicate the BESTS mission and outputs to external stakeholders as directed by the programme director.
• Prepare timely and accurate reports for the BESTS programme board
• Support preparation of reports to the BESTS funding body
• Share collective responsibility with workpakage leads for delivering the BESTS objectives
• Make recommendations to enhance execution of the BESTS programme