An entity composed of an administrative component and one or more Clinical Research Sites that contribute to the Network clinical research plan by conducting the clinical research. A CTU may also contribute scientific and clinical research expertise to the development of the Network clinical research plan. A CTU is responsible for developing and maintaining effective community relationships; enabling community participation in Clinical Research Sites, CTU, and Network activities; and ensuring that all clinical research is conducted in compliance with Network bylaws, policies and procedures, DAIDS policy and procedures, Federal regulations, and any applicable local requirements. (DAIDS)

The District of Columbia Clinical Trials Unit (DC CTU) was competitively selected by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), an office within the NIH, as one of 35 HIV CTUs based at both U.S. and international institutions. You can see a full list of CTUs across the world here. here. 

The mission of the District of Columbia Clinical Trials Unit (DC CTU) is to bring cutting-edge HIV prevention, treatment, and cure studies to the nation's capital, a region with one of the highest rates of HIV in the United States.

The DC CTU builds upon the success of both the GW HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) site and the WWI AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) site. It also builds on longstanding collaborations between organizations through the DC Center for AIDS Research (DC CFAR). You can learn more about the DC CFAR here: https://dccfar.gwu.edu/ 

Aim 1: Provide scientific leadership and administrative infrastructure to conduct high-quality HIV treatment and cure studies and behavioral, biomedical, and vanguard HIV prevention studies at two established CRSs in support of NIH and network scientific agendas.

Aim 2: Implement best practices to ensure continued high recruitment and retention rates; participant safety; and laboratory, pharmacy, data, and regulatory excellence.

Aim 3: Actively engage with the local community to ensure optimal enrollment of diverse participants from within and beyond clinic settings using Good Participatory Practices.

Aim 4: Capitalize on the resources available from the DC CFAR and DC Cohort to engage senior investigators, mentor early stage investigators, and access 

The GW HPTN Clinical Research Site (CRS) began conducting HPTN trials in 2008 and first became an HPTN CRS in 2013. The WWI ACTG CRS began conducting ACTG studies in 2014 and first became an ACTG CRS in 2013. The DC CTU was initially funded in December 2020.