The IAP promotes and supports international studies on pancreatic diseases and would like to offer members the opportunity to submit a study protocol to the Scientific Subcommittee of IAP Council. If accepted by Council, the IAP will send your protocol to all IAP members to invite participation and patient recruitment. The aim of this process is to increase the possibilities for patient recruitment to large international studies.

Guidelines for Clinical Studies Performed Under the Auspices of IAP

1. The IAP seeks to promote multicentre multinational studies in the area of pancreatic disease.
2. Only large international studies will be considered and projects should deal with research questions that are difficult to explore at a national or regional level.
3. In order to be auspiced by the IAP, all study protocols must be approved by the IAP prospectively (ie before commencement of the study).
4. Proposed projects must be low cost or self financed by the proposers. The IAP may be able to assist with limited infrastructure support for individual projects; however these need to be negotiated with the IAP Executive prior to endorsement of the project.
5. Third party support for projects is allowable; however IAP leadership must be acknowledged in any promotion or description of the study.
6. All investigators should be members of the IAP and the IAP encourages studies that can be led by emerging researchers.
7. Observation or epidemiological studies are preferred.
8. Studies should preferable be limited to no longer than two (2) years in order to increase the chance to have a complete recruitment of consecutive patients.
9. A details study protocol (including a case report form (CRF), inclusion criteria, study duration, feasibility) must be submitted to the Scientific Committee using the  online submission form. This protocol will be reviewed within six (6) weeks of submission.
10. Following any clarifications requested of the proposer, the recommendation of the Scientific Committee will then be submitted to the IAP Council for endorsement.
11. If accepted, the IAP will promote the study protocol to all members of the IAP via email and inclusion on the IAP website.
12. The proposers will develop a Word, Excel or online CRF for distribution to members.
13. The proposers of the study will provide quarterly updates on recruitment. If the recruitment rate does not meet the expectation outlined in the study protocol the IAP reserves the right to withdraw its support.
14. Results of the study must be presented at an official IAP meeting. Travel support may be available for the junior author.
15. Support by the IAP must be acknowledged in any publication resulting from the study.
16. Authorship rules must be prospectively detailed in the study protocol. The IAP suggests that the number should be limited to two (2) authors per centre and ordered in accordance with the number of patients recruited. The protocol should include clarification on planned authorship rules in the event that a very large number of centres participate in the research.
17. The IAP strongly recommends submission of any publications resulting from the study to the IAPs official journal Pancreatology; however, investigators are free to seek to publish in other journals where this would be appropriate.
18. The IAP should be notified of any conference presentations or publications and provided with a PDF version of any resulting papers by email at support[AT]internationalpancreatology.org.