Skip to Main Content

Research Committees Support Unit

Patient Login

Research Committees Support Unit

The Research Committees support unit provides support and coordination for the Cancer Center committees responsible for reviewing and monitoring all protocols:

Feasibility Review Committee (FRC)

The Feasibility Review Committee provides support and additional information to the PRMC to facilitate a comprehensive, informed assessment of Sylvester interventional research studies. The FRC reviews and assesses each study for operational conduct and ability to meet accrual goals.

The committee reviews:

  • Study funding
  • Appropriate support staff
  • Nursing and Chemotherapy Treatment Unit (CTU) resources
  • Patient population
  • Radiology, pathology services, and research pharmacy
  • Procedures, operations, and related logistics (including feasibility to be conducted at satellite sites)
  • Data Safety Monitoring Plan (DSMP)

The committee conducts reviews as required and provides recommendations to the PRMC.

For additional information please contact: frc@miami.edu 

Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC)

The PRMC provides internal scientific merit oversight of all cancer studies and assures that center resources are efficiently engaged to facilitate best practices for scientific endeavors. All cancer-related studies that involve human subjects, including both cancer patients and healthy populations, are submitted to the PRMC for review.

PRMC scientific review takes into account the specific rationale, study design, availability of adequate numbers of patients or subjects, the presence of any competing studies, and the robustness of biostatistical design, assuring internal oversight of the scientific merit for all cancer studies. The main objectives of the PRMC are to:

  • Provide timely review of the scientific merit of all cancer research studies.
  • Ensure prioritization of cancer research studies according to Sylvester's scientific objectives, including catchment area relevance.
  • Monitor the scientific progress of all cancer research studies with an emphasis placed on timely accrual.
  • Review the study-specific data and safety monitoring plan.

The PRMC exercises its authority to terminate studies not meeting scientific goals or the PRMC accrual monitoring policy.

PRMC processes ensure all Sylvester research studies meet high scientific standards, specific aims, study endpoints and design, proposed analysis, ability to accrue subjects, and plans for data and safety monitoring. PRMC approval is required for all cancer studies involving human subjects prior to IRB submission.

Studies requiring full committee review include:

  • IIS developed by University of Miami faculty with funding from the institution, a non-peer reviewing agency, or industry.
  • Multi-institutional IIS where the study Pl is at another non-NCI-designated institution, and the study has not undergone formal peer review (as outlined in the expedited review criteria below).
  • Pharmaceutical studies where the concept and protocol originate with industry.

Studies eligible for expedited review by the Chair or Vice-Chair include:

  • NCTN and NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program-approved studies.
  • IIS that have or will receive external peer review by an approved NCI peer-review funding organization prior to activation.
  • Multi-site 11S previously approved by an NCI-designated Cancer Center PRMC.
  • Prospective, hypothesis-driven, non-interventional studies (e.g., observational, ancillary, and correlative studies).

Studies exempt from PRMC review include:

  • Non-hypothesis-driven research, such as chart reviews, registries, databases, general bio-banking studies, or single-subject compassionate use studies are exempt and not reviewed by the Sylvester PRMC.

The PRMC is comprised of two subcommittees:

  • PRMC-PS for population science studies, composed of faculty with expertise in population science, bio-behavioral, and epidemiologic studies.
  • PRMC-M for medical studies, composed of faculty experienced in clinical, translational, and biological studies.

To submit medical and population science studies via PRMC Electronic System (PES) to the PRMC and to view the Sylvester Clinical & Population Science Research Update Session Live Stream, please use SharePoint.



Fee Schedule

PRMC fees are applicable to all cancer-related studies supported by for-profit sponsors and/or agencies/foundations that do not otherwise cover PRMC fees through federal indirect costs to the cancer center.

PRMC scientific review is a mandatory requirement instituted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for all cancer-related clinical trials. NCI policies dictate that the PRMC must review, at a minimum, all research studies in areas of diagnosis, therapy, prevention, and control of cancer that have not received traditional peer review for scientific merit.

PRMC Review
Fee Amount: Initial Review $1,500

This fee includes:

  • Annual Accrual Monitoring
  • Annual Scientific Progress & Performance Review
  • Amendment Review(s)

Faculty

Craig Moskowitz, M.D.
PRMC Medical Chair

Michael Antoni, Ph.D.
PRMC Population Sciences Chair

Matthew Abramovitz, M.D.
PRMC Medical Vice-Chair

Youngmee Kim, Ph.D.
PRMC Population Sciences Vice-Chair

Pamela Cooper
PRMC Manager