The University of Liverpool in the UK is leading the Greener Trials project, an initiative to minimise the carbon footprint of clinical trials through an open science approach.
Co-led by the University of Aberdeen and funded by Wellcome, the project aims to digitise guidance for evaluating the carbon footprint of publicly funded trials.
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This will facilitate the quick collection of data necessary to pinpoint areas of concern, share mitigation strategies, detect research gaps and issues with existing decarbonisation systems, as well as promote behavioural change.
Partners to the project include NHS England, the Institute of Cancer Research, the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition and the South African Medical Research Council, in addition to public and patient research contributors.
University of Liverpool professor Paula Williamson is overseeing the project while Dr Beatriz Goulao and Professor Katie Gillies from the Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation are leading its Scottish operations.
Professor Gillies said: “As the number of clinical trials being conducted continues to rise, so will the associated carbon emissions.
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By GlobalData“The University of Aberdeen will lead research that aims to understand who needs what differently to combat this.
“This research will inform how we can design and deliver greener trials that also improve outcomes for patients and the public, better methods for better greener health.”
The Greener Trials project will work towards the development of a website that hosts an open-access, online carbon calculator for free.
It also aims to foster active communities of practice, provide evidence-based mitigation strategies, and outline priorities for future research in this area.
In addition to Greener Trials, Professor Williamson and her colleagues are partnering in a UK-wide hub project that aims to help the NHS significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
This project has received £6.5m ($8.3m) from UK Research and Innovation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
