Research Network and Education Division

Major research themes for ARCH for 2008-2012 are:

• Promoting and supporting evidence based health care

• Care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth

• International maternal and perinatal health

The Research Networks and Education Division’s key research strategies are to benefit women and babies by:-

Continuing our high-profile program of research training and support in maternal and perinatal health for students, early career researchers and health professionals.

Offering educational training workshops, Cochrane work-ins, and a mentoring program for individual review authors and encourage maternal and perinatal health professionals to become authors of Cochrane systematic reviews.

Continuing to have a leading role in promoting and supporting high quality randomised trials within Australia through the WOMBAT Collaboration (Women and Babies Health and Well-being: Action through Trials) funded by a NHMRC enabling grant by :-

• Providing national and regional support for the design, initiation, recruitment, completion, publication and dissemination of results of perinatal clinical trials through the provision of our high-level operational support.
• Providing high quality, multidisciplinary education and training in the management of clinical trials.
• Facilitating high-profile research opportunities by identification and dissemination of research questions needing trials arising from systematic reviews.
• Identifying further opportunities to form or join research networks (international and national) in maternal and perinatal health.

THE WOMBAT (Women and Babies Wellbeing: Action through Trials) Collaboration

The WOMBAT Collaboration promotes and supports high quality randomised clinical trials in the perinatal area in order to improve the health and wellbeing of women and their children. The Australian perinatal researchers and practitioners who act as the WOMBAT Collaboration Advisory Board have been awarded an NHMRC enabling grant to enhance the national health and medical research effort.

The WOMBAT Collaboration aims are to:

• Provide high level support to researchers undertaking multicentre trials in the perinatal area.
  This support spans assistance with formulating trial questions, to trial design, methods and conduct, through to dissemination of the results of the trial.
• Identify research areas and encouraging appropriate clinical and methodological trials.
  Cochrane reviews and other sources will be systematically used to identify research gaps in perinatal evidence and WOMBAT will assist researchers to develop trial protocols to address these gaps.
• Provide education and training in trial design and conduct.
  WOMBAT offers workshops and other educational resources on the various aspects of trial design

Wombat Collaboration Advisory Committee

The terms of reference for this committee are:

• Oversee the operation of the WOMBAT Collaboration, in order for the objectives of the Collaboration to be fulfilled.
• Monitor the progress of the WOMBAT Collaboration towards its stated targets.
• Promote cooperative planning and conduct of high quality multicentre randomised trials at international, national and regional levels.
• Ensure that there is comprehensive and equitable access to the services and facilities of the WOMBAT Collaboration by people with an interest in conducting perinatal clinical trials within Australia.
• Provide a process for individuals or groups who wish to appeal about obtaining access to WOMBAT Collaboration services and facilities.
• Oversee the direction of the WOMBAT Collaboration’s educational program and ensure that the educational needs of Australian perinatal researchers regarding clinical trials are being addressed.
• Ensuring research gaps for perinatal trials are identified and accessible.
• Identify opportunities for sustaining the services and facilities provided by the WOMBAT Collaboration beyond the initial grant period.
• Ensure that the WOMBAT Collaboration operates without conflicts of interest.
• Promote involvement of consumers in the WOMBAT Collaboration.
• Promote the conduct of methodological research relating to perinatal clinical trials.

Advisory Committee Board Members

Reference

Tooher RL, Middleton PF, Crowther CA, Recruitment to maternal & perinatal trials: a thematic analysis of barriers, enablers and strategies, BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 2008 (in press)

Key Contacts

Professor Caroline Crowther
Dr Jodie Dodd
Ms Philippa Middleton
Dr Rebecca Tooher

Contact details