In the early 2000s, Paul Harris, Ph.D. was finishing his biomedical engineering degree at Vanderbilt University, when a part-time job fixing computers at the VUMC’s Clinical Research Center unexpectedly launched a revolution in research data management. What began as a practical solution to a local challenge has transformed into REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture), a worldwide research phenomenon.
REDCap is a secure web application for managing research data, which serves nearly 8,000 institutions across 163 countries, supporting millions of researchers worldwide. The application allows users to build and manage online surveys and databases quickly and securely and is currently in production use or development build-status for more than 217,000 projects with over 300,000 users spanning numerous research focus areas across the consortium.
REDCAP'S EARLY DAYS
As a Vanderbilt faculty member, Harris observed researchers across diverse clinical fields struggling with a common problem: managing complex research data effectively while meeting emerging HIPAA security requirements.
In 2004, REDCap launched with three core modules: a case report form builder, a data access control system, and an audit trail. Making the platform self-service proved crucial to its success. Researchers describe their data needs, and REDCap automatically generates appropriate forms and databases, with no programming required.
FROM CONSORTIUM TO COMMERCIALIZATION
The REDCap Consortium began with a single partner in Puerto Rico before expanding globally. "Before I published my first paper on the methodology, I was already giving it away for free," Harris states. "I needed to get tech transfer involved because my dream was to do good in the world and ensure widespread dissemination."
Working with Vanderbilt's Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC), Harris developed a framework allowing free distribution to academic institutions while protecting intellectual property rights.
By 2011, with approximately 1,000 consortium partners, commercialization discussions began. "CTTC helped me protect our ability to continue doing good by giving REDCap away to academics, nonprofit and government partners, while selecting a commercial partner," Harris states.
In 2015, nPhase Inc. obtained an exclusive license to commercialize REDCap Cloud for for-profit businesses. The platform now serves pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers, offering a cost-effective solution for clinical trials and patient data management.
This commercial version is transforming the clinical trial market by offering a less costly but equally robust product, particularly benefiting small and mid-size clinical trial organizations and biopharma companies.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Today, REDCap supports approximately three million users and has been cited in nearly 50,000 academic publications. "Part of doing good in the world is dissemination," Harris reflects. "I've always thought of CTTC as my partner, not only on the commercial side but also on the non-commercial side."
REDCap exemplifies how university innovation, designed for accessibility and supported by strategic partnerships, can transform research processes and human lives worldwide.