2026 SCRS Eagle Awards Presented to Bayer and Medpace for Outstanding Site Partnerships

Bayer and Medpace earn top honors for operational excellence and dedication to clinical research site sustainability.

October 27, 2026 – The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) has proudly named the recipients of the 2026 SCRS Eagle Award: Bayer in the sponsor category and Medpace in the Contract Research Organization (CRO) category.

For more than ten years, the SCRS Eagle Award has set the industry standard for evaluating site-industry collaboration. Presented during the annual SCRS Global Site Solutions Summit Eagle Award Gala, sponsored by Advarra, this distinguished award honors industry organizations showing outstanding commitment to advancing clinical research through strong site partnerships.

This year, global research sites scored organizations on eight key operational dimensions that drive daily trial execution and sustainability. The selection process is built entirely on direct, objective feedback from clinical research sites evaluating active study partnerships.

Ultimately, Bayer and Medpace achieved the highest overall scores across all categories. Recipients were chosen from a highly competitive pool of finalists, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck/MSD, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi in the sponsor category, alongside IQVIA, Novotech, Parexel, and Worldwide Clinical Trials in the CRO category.

“We are deeply honored to receive the SCRS Eagle Award,” shared Dr. Christoph Koenen, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Clinical Development at Bayer. “This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes directly from the clinical trial sites and professionals who partner with us every day. Their trust, feedback and collaboration are essential to how we advance clinical research for patients. We remain committed to listening to our site partners, learning from their experiences, and acting on their feedback. Together, we will continue working to reduce administrative burden, improve efficiency and enhance experiences for sites, study participants, and patients.”

“We are honored to be recognized as the 2026 SCRS Eagle Award winner,” said Gina Leisring, Sr. Vice President – Clinical Monitoring, Medpace. “Earning this distinction for a second consecutive year underscores our commitment to fostering strong, collaborative relationships with sites and reflects the trust our site partners place in us. We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue working together to accelerate the development of safe and effective therapies.”

“The SCRS Eagle Award places objective site feedback at the center of improving cross-industry collaboration, added Sean Soth, Senior Vice President of Global Business Partnerships with SCRS. “Bayer and Medpace have demonstrated a profound commitment to empowering sites, building trust, and streamlining trial operations. On behalf of SCRS and the global research site community, we congratulate both organizations for their extraordinary efforts to elevate site partnerships.”

An executive summary of the 2026 Eagle Award results will be distributed to all SCRS members and Global Impact Partners. Sponsors and CROs will also be able to invest in deeper site intelligence reports developed by SCRS to understand how their organization compares against peer groups. Learn more about the Eagle Award and industry insights at sitesolutionssummit.com/eagle-award.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to support efforts to master major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to bayer.com.

About Medpace

Medpace is a scientifically-driven, global, full-service clinical contract research organization (CRO) providing Phase I-IV clinical development services to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Medpace’s mission is to accelerate the global development of safe and effective medical therapeutics through its high-science and disciplined operating approach that leverages regulatory and therapeutic expertise across all major areas including oncology, cardiology, metabolic disease, endocrinology, central nervous system and anti-viral and anti-infective. Learn more at medpace.com.

About the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS)

The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) is the leading advocacy organization dedicated to unifying the voice of the global clinical research site community. Representing more than 12,000 research sites globally, SCRS facilitates industry collaborations and conversations dedicated to site-focused advocacy, education, mentorship, and connection. SCRS is an active and influential champion for sites in industry initiatives to ensure that the perspective of sites is heard and valued. Our Voice. Our Community. Your Success. Learn more at myscrs.org.