The mission of the Clinical Investigations Program Branch is to facilitate research and training to support graduate health sciences education and other allied health programs of the military services, to further enhance patient care in the Military Health System, and to contribute to medical readiness solutions.
The CIP Branch supports the clinical investigations programs at 18 military medical treatment facilities (MTFs).
CIP Branch Functions
The CIP Branch operates under five functional areas
- Management Support – Ensuring alignment of MTF CIPs with DHA strategic drivers and MTF graduate medical education (GME) program director requirements
- Policy Support – Executing policies and procedures required in key CIP-related Department of Defense instructions
- Process Support – Promoting standardization of CIP practices
- Resource Support – Advocating for the necessary scope, staffing, and resources for CIPs at each MTF
- Contracting Support – Developing support contracts for MTF CIPs based on their organizational needs and changes
CIP and Scholarly Activity
The CIP Branch aims to improve the quality of health care for DOD beneficiaries by generating an atmosphere of scientific inquiry, promoting an academic environment of high professional standing, and assisting in the accreditation of GME and other allied health training programs.
Scholarly activity is a common program requirement for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the CIP Branch facilitates completion of these requirements by supporting the accreditation of health education and training programs in the MHS.
The CIP Branch supports operational training and research requirements of more than 500 graduate medical, nursing, dental and graduate health sciences education programs with over 4,000 trainees.
CIP Policies
The CIP Branch issued three DHA publications to standardize procedures, support research, and ensure a stable financial foundation for CIP programs in the MHS.
- DHA-Procedural Instruction 3200.02 Clinical Investigation Program at MTFs: Implements DOD Instruction 6000.08 and provides details on CIP execution
- DHA-Technical Manual 3200.02 Scientific Review: Provides guidance to ensure CIP supports research and clinical investigations that are feasible and scientifically sound
- DHA-Technical Manual 3200.01 Reimbursement of Research-Related Expenses: Reinforces policies and procedures to ensure scholarly activities and research conducted at MTFs are appropriately financed
CIP Young Investigator Competition
The CIP Branch established a CIP Young Investigator Competition to showcase emerging researchers from MTF CIPs and demonstrate the value of graduate health sciences education research to the MHS. The branch hosted its inaugural Young Investigator Competition as a virtual component at the 2022 AMSUS, the Society of Federal Health Professionals Annual Meeting. Read about the winning presentation by Air Force Capt. Elan Sherazee, a researcher at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, California.
The second annual Young Investigator Competition is tentatively scheduled for the 2023 AMSUS Annual Meeting Feb. 13–16. Bookmark this webpage for updates.
Questions about CIP? Email dha.ncr.j-9.mbx.cip-office@health.mil