The Ahmedabad-based Shivrath Center of Excellence In Clinical Research, a joint venture of a group of professional clinical research experts and the Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM), is gradually entering into full fledged operations to provide hands on training for the professionals in clinical research management and execution.

The institute, which has started its operations eight months back, is expected to bring out the first batch of students in three courses, a full time Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research (PGDCR) and two part time courses - Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Research (PGDACR) and Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trial Management (PGDCTM) - in the next month.

Shivrath COE has also called for applications from eligible candidates for the next batch of courses, which is fixed for a period of 12 months. The venture, in which the major professional experts including Dr Shivprakash Rathnam, the founder and managing director of Synchron Research Services Pvt Ltd, is first of its kind in India to have an affiliation with the clinical research organisations, claims Dr Bhagirath Patel, director, Shivrath Center of Excellence in Clinical Research.

"The training of clinical trials cannot be done just in class rooms. With the support of the professional experts on field in the management, we are able to deliver hands on experience to the students. The emphasis is to prepare a group of students who can directly go to the projects after completing the course," says Dr Patel.

The syllabus is also constantly updated with the latest developments in trial methods and regulatory norms, as most of the management members are constantly in touch with any type of developments in the field, he added. The facility for the institution is built with an investment of Rs 2 crore. The Sivrath Centre of Excellence infused 89 per cent of the investment even as the rest of 11 per cent has been contributed by the GSBTM.

The institute currently have a capacity to accommodate 30 students per batch, though it has not been optimised for the first batch since the course was started a little late after the commencement of other academic courses. This year, plans are to accommodate students to the maximum. The institution is currently trying to affiliate with a university in the state to enhance the operations.

"The Mission has a vision to attract interest of more firms to set their operations in Gujarat. This requires adequate skilled manpower for the companies to begin their works successfully. We are interested in developing skilled manpower for clinical trials, research and other related areas in biotech sector," says Akshay Saxena, mission director, GSBTM.

As a long term plan, the Sivrath COE is also looking to affiliate with universities outside Gujarat to set up similar courses in other states, informs Dr Patel.