Clinical Research Infrastructure for the Specialist Practice
Vellum SMO is a specialist Site Management Organization that partners with independent physician practices to build dedicated clinical research capability — and gives sponsors and CROs a single, accountable counterparty for their most demanding studies.
15
Dedicated Research Sites
+10
Referral Network Sites
200+
Affiliated Raters & NPs
40+ States
Reached by the affiliated network
25+ yrs
Average experience of site management leadership
Introduction
Built for specialist research activation
Vellum operates a network of 15 dedicated research sites and 10 referral-network sites across the United States, backed by more than 200 affiliated clinical raters and nurse practitioners spanning a 40+ state footprint. Unlike conventional SMO models — which subcontract capacity from independently run practices — Vellum’s participating physicians hold a direct ownership stake in the network’s performance. Enrollment success is personal, not incidental.
Our Model
How the model works
1. Site activation
Assess practice fit, prepare workflows, and build the regulatory and operational foundation required to open a study — from feasibility through first patient in.
2. Regulatory oversight
Unified SOPs, source documentation, and quality systems applied consistently across every site in the network — centralized through Vellum, not set independently by each practice.
3. Trial placement
Match sponsor and CRO study opportunities to qualified specialist sites selected for therapeutic-area fit, investigator experience, and panel depth.
4. Ongoing operations
Senior clinical research coordinators, performance-linked accountability, and AI-assisted workflows sustain enrollment and data quality through study completion.
Therapeutic Areas
Depth where it matters
CNS & Behavioral Health
Depression, including treatment-resistant depression · Anxiety disorders and anxious depression · OCD, PTSD, and trauma-related conditions · Adult ADHD · Opioid and substance use disorder · Child, adolescent, adult, and veteran populations.
Differentiating capability: In-house interventional psychiatry — TMS, ketamine infusion, esketamine, neurofeedback, and EMDR.
Cardiometabolic & Primary Care
Type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease · Hypertension and stroke-risk management · Cardiac disease · Peripheral vascular disease · Obesity and medical weight management · Joint pain and arthritis.
Differentiating capability: Broad, same-day-access primary care population providing direct reach into the highest-demand cardiometabolic categories.
Oncology
Solid tumors and hematologic malignancies · Phase 2 and Phase 3 interventional studies · Independent community oncology and hematology-oncology practices
Network expansion: Vellum is actively partnering with independent community oncology practices, extending the same single-counterparty contracting, unified quality systems, and dedicated site operations to oncology research.
For Sponsors
A qualified specialist site network
1. One counterparty
One point of accountability, one senior relationship lead across all 15 dedicated sites — not a vendor marketplace managed site by site.
2. Owner-investigator alignment
Every participating physician holds a direct ownership stake in Vellum’s performance. Enrollment success is tied to personal outcome, not a per-visit fee.
3. An active representative network
Approximately 90,000 active participants under ongoing physician care across the network, with more than 70% identifying as a racial or ethnic minority.
4. AI-native operations
AI-assisted site activation, scheduling, and documentation. Centralized electronic systems across the full network provide real-time data visibility from the first patient in.
For Practices
A research platform built around your practice
Vellum partners with independent physician practices to activate clinical research capability without disrupting clinical operations, payer relationships, or practice ownership. Participating physicians earn direct investigator compensation from sponsors, receive a share of Vellum’s network research revenue on a quarterly basis, and participate in the long-term value of the platform.
1. Direct investigator compensation — Physicians and licensed clinical staff earn professional fees on every study placed at your site, paid directly from sponsors through Vellum.
2. Quarterly network distributions — Participating practices receive a share of Vellum’s net research revenue each quarter, weighted by your site’s overall research contribution.
3. Long-term value participation — Practices hold an ownership interest in the Vellum network and share in its value over time.
4. Operational support — Vellum provides embedded coordinators, regulatory infrastructure, IRB management, GCP training, and sponsor contracting — your practice provides the physician and dedicated clinical capacity.
Contact
Start the conversation
Whether you represent a sponsor, a CRO, or an independent physician practice, Vellum SMO is available to discuss research activation, site strategy, and partnership opportunities.