At the University of the West Indies, Faculty of Medical Sciences there already exists a well established institutional framework for the conduct of local and international clinical research these include:-

• Communications between sites scattered world – EMAIL and TELEPHONE,
• A 500 bed University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) with labs,
• An active IRB Committee,
• Contact with the regulatory health organizations at the regional and national levels. 
• Competent medical and nursing staff, 
• Competent Laboratory and pharmaceutical staff, 
• Strong working relationships to a network of public sector hospitals and clinics, Private GPs, Private labs, government labs island wide.
• Ready access to specialized Researchers in genetics, forensics, natural products, bio-chemistry, pharmacology and other areas of the basic sciences.
• A supportive team of experienced IT professionals on call.
• The main responsibilities of the Medical Sciences are teaching, patient care and research. Our research are is committed to improving teaching and patient care through research. The Clinical Research Centre located on the second floor of the Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex is a resource centre which provides support for Investigators and Sponsors. The mandate of this unit is to ensure the efficient and ethical development and Implementation of your clinical studies, in particular clinical trials, ultimately, in the interest of patient safety and good quality data.

A clinical trial is a type of clinical research which determines the effect and the usefulness of an intervention in a human population.

Your study is a clinical trial if there are the following features:-

1. Human subjects.
2. Prospective
3. Has an intervention whether drug, device, method
4. Designed to determine the effect of the intervention on the human population of interest
5. Designed for health related, bio-medical, behavioural outcome.

The Centre is managed by an eminent team of experienced researchers who ensure support for:-

1. Protocol development & budgeting.
2. Identification of Principal Investigators.
3. Identification of study co-ordinators & and critical staff
4. Good Clinical Practice Guidelines. (GCP).
5. Guidance through the IRB at the UWI at the National level.
6. Other necessary activities to ensure patient safety and good quality data.