The Clinical Scientist and Basic Scientist Mentoring Program was established to provide support, counseling, and direction of clinician scientists during their academic advancement. The program utilizes department- and university-based faculty who have proven records of conducting research, receiving research awards, and publishing findings to provide appropriate feedback to younger faculty on research-based tenure pathways. Mentor tutelage is shaped to help faculty members become more focused in their work; steer them to new funding opportunities; help them to network and establish collaborative relationships; and reduce anxiety concerning academic success, grant funding, and the promotion process.

The process required each clinical scientist to identify three to five members to serve on a committee. Members are largely selected from the faculty body at UAMS; however, other scientists and researchers with appropriate skills and experience are also welcome additions. A committee chair is also designated, who takes a leadership role is assuring that the committee operates productively and is of appreciable benefit to the faculty member. After notification of members, the committee is required to meet two times the first year and once each year subsequent year. Progress of each committee is communicated with the department chair and vice chair of research.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute’s administrative staff provides research faculty in the Department of Pediatrics with institutional support necessary to sustain and expand basic and pediatric clinical research conducted on the ACH campus. The Research Administration Office provides a centralized hub of information and assistance to faculty interested in research. This assistance includes services such as clinical trials contract, protocol, and budget development; pre- and post-award assistance for extramural grant funding; grant and science writing and editing; review and negotiation of biomedical research agreements; and assistance with location of funding opportunities and policy information. The staff acts as facilitators to ease the administrative burden of sponsored research with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of pediatric clinical trials and research projects conducted within the department.

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The Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU) and its coordinator are available to support investigators conducting pediatric clinical trials. This 2-bed facility located in the main hospital on the Arkansas Children's Hospital campus includes a wet lab for processing samples. Investigational drug study activities are supported by the Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute pharmacist on staff.  The clinical coordinator provides assistance with study initiation, closure, randomization, and the day-to-day routine execution of clinical trials.  Pharmacy-related support activities include drug accountability, study procedures, inventory/records documentation, and drug resource information for all health care providers. These activities combined, provide for a coordinated, efficient and accurate dispensing and documentation system.

Internal to the department is a group ready to collaborate with and provide support services to enhance faculty research. This group consists of biostatisticians (Ph.D. and Master’s level), data managers, data entry support, database designers and programmers. Biostatisticians are ready to consult on the design and analysis of research projects and provide assistance in the final data analysis. The section offers additional support in the development of instruments and computerized databases for data collection. Data management personnel and database programmers work directly with research staff to ensure the efficient collection of valid data. This staff then provides the researcher with a multi-platform database for analysis purposes. The department supports several analysis tools including SPSS and SAS. Other resources include a state-of-the-art imaging system and access to medical and clinical data through Arkansas Children’s Hospital data systems.