Hanover,
MD, September 1, 2022
– Today the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS)
announced the finalists for the 2022 Site Patient Recruitment Innovation Award
(SPRIASM ) and Site TankSM Award.
SPRIA, sponsored by StudyKIK, recognizes highly successful and unique patient enrollment initiatives executed by sites. Congratulations to this year’s SPRIA finalists: FOMAT Medical Research, IMA Clinical Research, and Javara and SouthCoast Health.
Site Tank, sponsored by Pfizer, is a competition for sites to share their innovative technology ideas that enhance, empower and improve research operations. Congratulations to this year’s Site Tank Finalists: University of California – Davis, Research & Me, and DM Clinical Research.
“Many sites have been working on creative solutions to address challenges in clinical research,” commented Jimmy Bechtel, SCRS VP of Site Engagement. “The number of submissions we received for this year’s awards echoed that. SCRS is excited to amplify our finalists’ technology ideas and recruitment strategies at the Global Summit. Congratulations to the 2022 finalists!”
The SPRIA and Site
Tank finalists will present to an audience of sites, Sponsors, CROs and solution
providers at the 2022 Global Site Solutions Summit October 7-9 in Hollywood, FL.
The winners will be announced at the Eagle Award Gala on October 8.
Learn more about SPRIA and Site Tank , and register for the 2022 Global Site Solutions Summit today.
About The Society for Clinical Research Sites myscrs-new.local/ .
Contact:communications@myscrs.org
Hanover, MD, August 29, 2022 – The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) today announced a new Site Spark award. The Site Spark award will recognize outstanding and innovative work of research sites that are implementing new and exciting ways to operationalize trials. The award was created to acknowledge forward-thinking sites that have developed unique recruitment methods, championed the use of new technologies, or excelled in diverse, equitable, and inclusive business practices. The inaugural competition will be unveiled at the 2022 European Site Solutions Summit hosted November 14-15 in Lisbon, Portugal. Jimmy Bechtel, SCRS VP of Site Engagement added, “The clinical research landscape is evolving rapidly with new directives, technologies and challenges arising faster than ever. SCRS is excited to celebrate site-driven initiatives that are adaptable, effective, and have that spark that makes our work especially meaningful.” Applications are open to all clinical research sites. Three finalists will be chosen to present their idea at the 2022 European Site Solutions Summit and will receive complimentary registration. The Site Spark award will continue at select SCRS Summits starting in 2023. About The Society for Clinical Research SitesFounded in 2012, SCRS is a global organization that unifies the voice of the clinical research site community to create greater site sustainability. Representing over 9,500 sites in 47 countries, SCRS membership provides sites with a community dedicated to advocacy, education, mentorship and connectivity. SCRS is an influential voice for sites and an active partner in industry-wide initiatives and dialogues focused on improving the clinical research enterprise. Our Voice. Our Community. Your Success. Join the community. Visit myscrs-new.local/. Contact: Marissa Hill Communications Manager Society for Clinical Research Sites communications@myscrs.org 410.696.5080
What does the clinical research workforce look like right now? It’s no secret that the workforce shortage in clinical research is a significant industry issue. Nicole Mills, SCRS Education and Knowledge Management Lead shared that according to CareerBuilder, there are currently 6.6 million clinical research jobs posted in the U.S., yet only 5.7 million available hires, which means almost one million more jobs are available than talent available nationwide. The issue is exacerbated when companies need specific skill sets or experience levels. For every 1 clinical research coordinator (CRC) looking for a job, there are 7 jobs posted. For nurses, it’s a 1 to 10 ratio. For regulatory affairs, it’s 1 in 35. These numbers can vary drastically by city or state as well. For example, when looking at data for California, there are 5,000 clinical research jobs but only 1,400 clinical research professionals looking for jobs. As of July 2022, there were 62,000 new job postings for clinical research roles and 17,000 of them were “unique” – meaning they didn’t fit a traditional clinical research coordinator-type role. Companies are diversifying traditional roles of coordinators while adding more roles such as home health nurses, IT compliance, regulatory data management, and other positions for adapting to new technologies and protocols. Bridging the gap Sites are having to get creative when it comes to hiring, whether that be salary negotiations or offering additional incentives such as hybrid scheduling or remote work. Additionally, sites in certain cities where the cost of living is higher are having to offer increased salaries to recruit new staff. These same sites are often competing with CROs and Sponsors that have higher budgets for salaries and sign-on bonuses, which can make recruiting especially challenging. Out of the 2,400 open positions that listed salaries, $82,000 was the median salary for a clinical research coordinator, with the range anywhere from $40,000 up to $120,000. David Vulcano, SCRS Honorary President and Vice President of Research Compliance and Integrity at HCA Healthcare shared that compensation has increased approximately 40-60% from pre-pandemic levels, which not only includes salaries but also retention bonuses and other benefits. Not all sites can meet the salary and benefit options that other organizations may offer, which contributes to high turnover among site staff. SCRS gathered anecdotal data regarding site staff retention and found the turnover rate has increased 2-3x from pre-pandemic levels. When study coordinators leave, it can take 6-12 months for sites to get back on track with that study. SCRS and industry partners have discussed offering a study continuity plan to help minimize the impact to the site and study when coordinators are recruited by a Sponsor or CRO. The continuity plan would be offered by the Sponsor or CRO if that organization recruits a coordinator from the site. Many organizations are having to adjust expectations for the roles they need. They may hire someone without clinical research experience but with therapeutic area experience or vice versa. Looking for transferrable skills from a general healthcare background or other industries is also becoming more prevalent. Candidates with experience in project management, administrative, or technology-related roles are helping bridge the gap. However, those hires typically require additional training on all the aspects of clinical research, which some sites may not have the time to manage. Taking action How do we alleviate some of the training issues for sites and make it easier to hire people who have less experience, or that come from other industries? SCRS created a Workforce Task Force with a site toolkit to help address this issue. The toolkit shares solutions for sites to train more efficiently, retain current staff, manage budgets and cash flow, and what additional benefits to consider such as childcare, more flexible schedules, work-from-home days, transportation options and employee recognition programs. Ultimately, we need new avenues into our industry. Awareness of clinical research is at an all-time high due to the clinical studies involving COVID-19 vaccines and this can be used to encourage more people to enter clinical research. Working with nurse education centers and universities is underway for several industry organizations already. The workforce will continue to be a hot topic of discussion as we look for more solutions to address current challenges. Watch the Sites NOW discussion recording here and join us for the next Sites NOW meeting to be a part of the conversation!
