Clinical research

Our work

NCIRS leads, coordinates and participates in vaccine-related clinical research, in collaboration with other research institutions in Australia.

This research aims to address gaps in knowledge to inform Australia’s immunisation policy for specific risk groups and management of adverse events following immunisation.

Areas of clinical research include:

studies to assess the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines when used in understudied and special risk populations
investigation of novel vaccine schedules and strategies to improve vaccine coverage
studies on causes and outcomes of adverse events following immunisation.

These studies are funded by philanthropic organisations or from competitive peer-reviewed grants.

Upcoming trials – register your interest now

The Clinical Research team at NCIRS conducts various research studies that can include new vaccine trials, surveillance studies and wellbeing studies.

If you are interested in participating in a clinical research study, please complete an expression of interest form (accessible via the link below).

Expression of interest form

We will get in touch with you when clinical trials of interest to you are being conducted to provide more details.

If you have any questions, please email SCHN-NCIRS-Research@health.nsw.gov.au.

Networks

Waratah Vaccine Trials Alliance
The Waratah Vaccine Trials Alliance was established in 2020 in response to the growing need for a coordinated approach to clinical vaccine trials in New South Wales (NSW), which was made urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic created a critical need to have the capability and infrastructure in NSW to attract and conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials for the benefit of Australia and the world .
The short-term goal of the Alliance is to facilitate the rapid conduct of COVID-19-specific and related vaccine trials of both pharmaceutical industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated vaccine candidates.
The first trial to commence under the Waratah Alliance banner, involving five NSW hospitals, was the BRACE trial, an international collaborative trial investigating the potential for the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine to protect against COVID-19 in healthcare workers.
The Waratah Vaccine Trial Alliance will act as a hub for the future of vaccine trials in NSW.

Our vision and mission
Our vision is to improve population health through the conduct of high-quality, collaborative clinical vaccine trials in NSW and Australia.
Our aims are to:
- establish NSW as a premier site for vaccine trial research in Australia
- increase access to clinical vaccine trials for the population of NSW
- provide an efficient, high-performing clinical trial alliance in which to conduct both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated vaccine trials
- provide education, training and mentorship to the next generation of vaccine researchers
- engage with consumers to optimise the design and conduct of vaccine trials
- facilitate the translation of the results of vaccine trials into policies and programs for our population.
Our members
The Alliance is a multidisciplinary collaboration of leading and emerging clinical vaccine trial researchers, consumers and other stakeholders.
We consist of a core group of researchers who design and lead clinical trials as well as members who participate by recruiting participants to the trials in a given vaccine portfolio.
Current participating urban hospital sites include the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN), Westmead Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.
The Alliance plans to include new sites – both hospital- and community-focused – in both urban and regional/rural locations in NSW.
Industry and investigators are invited to approach the Alliance coordination team with vaccine trials that they wish to be conducted under Alliance capabilities. Please email SCHN-NCIRS-Research@health.nsw.gov.au.