1. Get CLUed into VICTR Services and Support
Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. virtual home for clinical and translational research and its mission is to transform the way ideas and research discoveries make their way from origin to patient care. Through collaboration with a wide variety of research partners; by training, by funding research; by developing new and innovative ways to involve the community in research; by developing new informatics and biostatistical systems
Get CLUed into VICTR Services and Support
(Collaborative space, Letters of Support, Über App)
Alecia Fair, DrPH, CCRP and Paul Harris, PhD
Research Support Services

2. What is StarBRITE? An interactive system that
provides one-stop shopping for research needs.
CRC presentation 2/24/2012

3. Through a single portal, research staff can:
Identify resources
Learn about internal/external funding opportunities
Obtain regulatory support
Learn about subject recruitment resources
Access templates (pre-study, study, & post-study)
Obtain software to create/manage surveys
View /register for educational sessions
View IRB/CRC approved studies (PI, Contact, KSP)
Content is organized around tasks and resources needed by research teams in the planning and conduct of scientific studies. StarBRITE was launched in October 2007 as part of the Vanderbilt CTSA initiative and contains traditional portal offerings (ex. template language and links to support research planning and implementation; integrated calendar of training events for researchers), as well as custom applications to support the research enterprise
CRC presentation 2/24/2012

4. StarBRITE – Why is it important?
It is a means for accessing different research-related resources
It will become the major resource for research-related activities at VUMC
Note: It is continually expanding, evolving and
Improving. Please send us your feedback via the
Ask the Expert boxes or by calling the RSS Hotline
( ) with suggestions, comments or questions.
CRC presentation 2/24/2012

5. How do I access StarBRITE?
All you need is the following:
Internet access
Via the StarBRITE link on the VUMC homepage under For Employees
VUNet ID and password
CRC presentation 2/24/2012

6. Letter of Support Review Process
PI submits request for LOS
PIs with requests for ≥ $10,000 of committed resources are required to present to the SRC
Requests ≥ $100,000 are reviewed by the Executive Committee
Letter of support issued to PI to submit with grant
Release of funds contingent upon grant being awarded.
VICTR can provide a letter of commitment for resources for inclusion in a grant submission that offers assurance to the funding agency that those resources would be available if they fund the proposed research.
The application process for requesting a commitment letter is the same as for requesting resources, since the SRC must fully review the proposal before committing funds to the study. However, since grant proposals almost always undergo revision prior to funding, the application must be re-submitted with applicable edits and updated documents for SRC review and approval before such funding can be made available. Requests for letters of commitment should be submitted at least 60 days prior to your grant deadline.
If you do not have enough time to for the SRC to review, you can request a letter that will be specific to your study, describing the general resources available through VICTR that could be awarded if your study is funded. Please contact Research Support Services at or call to request a general letter of support.
CRC presentation 2/24/2012

7. Letter of Support Review Process
PI awarded grant, submits amendment to release funds and/or edit resources based on awarded grant. 
In amendment PI uploads grant documents (budget, budget justification, and 1275 – reviewed for topping off and overlap of final funded NIH grant).
If no changes to the original committed resources, request reviewed and approved by Chair, funds released.
If resources are changed, request reviewed by Chair,  amendments >$10,000 are discussion items on the next agenda or Chair’s discretion if changes warrant presentation to SRC.
Amendments ≥ $100,000 will not require Executive Committee approval
VICTR is unable to support underfunded grants or contracts. VICTR funding can be requested to supplement funded grant specific aims to provide CRC direct nursing and nutritional support and CRC Core lab, physiological measurements, procedures and equipment. All other items must be included in your grant or contract budget. VICTR will consider funding “pilot and feasibility” studies added on to an already funded project, for example, a federal grant, if the work is not already described within the specific aims of the funded project.

8. General Letter of Support
Can be submitted with any grant project, is not affiliated with funding support