The application is for a Phase I planning grant to create an international Women's Health Complementary and Alternative Therapies Research Center (WHCATRC) in response to an RFA from NCCAM, NIH. This planning grant will involve interdisciplinary investigators in Seattle (Bastyr University, University of Washington) and Seoul, Korea (Ewha Woman's University, Won Kwang University, Koryo Hand Therapy clinic) who are interested in women's health. As part of this 2-year planning effort investigators will meet in person 2 times to delineate research projects for the Phase II application, translate and standardize appropriate tools, determine human subjects review and data safety monitoring procedures, visit potential clinical study sites, and finalize core facilities. In addition, one pilot project will be conducted in Seoul, Korea. The goals of the grant will be as follows: 1) Establish and convene an interdisciplinary working group composed of investigators/practitioners from the Seoul, Korea (Ewha Woman University, Won Kwang University, Koryo Hand Therapy clinic) and the Seattle institutions (University of Washington, Bastyr University) who are focused on the treatment and management of women's health conditions. 2) Prioritize issues important to the conduct of international clinical trials; 3) Utilize innovative technology to establish communication pathways to enhance international collaboration; 4) Initiate institutional collaborative arrangements that will enhance the development of specific research projects (e.g., RO-1 s for the Phase II Center application, human subjects approval procedures, data review board: safety and monitoring). 5) Establish a database of specific CAM practices in Korea and Seattle-King County. 6) Develop a database for specific outcome measures related to attitudes/beliefs of Korean (living in Korea), Korean-American (Korean descent living in the Seattle-King County area), and non-Asian American women with and without functional health problems; 7) Build research capacity by identifying key resources (clinics, laboratories), services (data management and statistic cores), and tools (English and Korean translation) in Seattle and Seoul that are needed for further collaborative scientific work in the area of CAM and women's health; 8) Provide research consultation related to the conduct of randomized control trials. 9) Develop and model procedures with attention to cultural sensitivity for subject recruitment and retention in accordance with NIH guidelines for research with human subjects; and 10) Award one pilot project to initiate collaborative research efforts between investigators in Seattle and Seoul, Korea.
