Laboratory Capacity Building and Science Management
Social & Scientific Systems began its work with international laboratory capacity building in the late 1990s to expand access to HIV care in resource-limited settings. This work supported the initiative of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The range of capacity building has varied greatly by facility and country and has been influenced by social, political, and financial challenges. We have helped our clients meet these challenges at laboratories in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America. Areas of service include the following:
- Laboratory Needs Assessments
- Laboratory Supply Chain Management
- Laboratory Quality Management
- Laboratory Demographics Tracking
- Laboratory Accreditation and Inspection Tracking
- Laboratory Training Coordination
- Laboratory Monitoring
Additional information:
- Clinical Laboratories—Capacity Building and Quality Management (PDF)
- Procurement and Supply Chain Management (PDF)
- Clinical Laboratory and Research Site Support in International Settings (PDF)
We provide laboratory management services to HIV clinical trials networks for laboratory science committees and working groups, commercial and specialty laboratories, and a specimen repository. Our staff provides input to the networks' leadership and individual committees on existing policies and procedures required for successful coordination and implementation of networkwide laboratory activities. We organize committee meetings, monitor assay development and protocol budget requirements for clinical trials, monitor laboratory assignments and performance, and maintain a database used for tracking protocol laboratory information.
In addition, our laboratory serves as the specimen repository for the Sister Study, an epidemiology trial of sisters of women with breast cancer.Â