Insights & Publications

Built by sites, validated by industry: the next chapter of the Digital Innovation Initiative begins this week.   The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), the premier global advocacy organization for the clinical research site community, today announced the AI guidance framework working group, the next chapter of its Digital Innovation Initiative (DII). The group will work to create the framework that will give sites a practical, independent foundation for adopting artificial intelligence safely and effectively, and give sponsors and CROs a credible benchmark for what good looks like at the site level.  AI is already reshaping site operations, from patient identification and documentation to data entry and communication. Yet sites have had no independent, site-specific guidance to inform their adoption decisions. The result is a lot of noise and very little clarity. This framework is designed to close that gap.  A working group of 12–15 site professionals will build the framework from operational reality, drawing on the day-to-day experience of the people who run trials. Members represent a range of roles and organization sizes, with adjacent AI practitioners contributing additional perspectives. The working group begins its work this week.  The process is designed to reflect the wider community, not only the working group:  Community survey – In November, SCRS will invite sites across our community to share how they are using, evaluating, or avoiding AI today.  Practitioner input – Case examples from practitioners already applying AI in site settings will ground the guidance in practice.  Industry review – In spring 2027, sponsor and CRO partners will review the completed draft to stress-test and validate it, without co-authoring it. The framework stays site-built and gains industry confidence.  “Sites are being asked to make AI decisions now, often without a trusted reference point,” said Jimmy Bechtel, Chief Site Success Officer at SCRS. “This framework starts with the people doing the work. Sites define what safe and effective looks like in practice, and industry helps pressure-test it. The goal is clarity the whole field can move forward on together.”  For sponsors and CROs, a shared, site-grounded standard supports more consistent expectations, smoother collaboration, and stronger trial execution. For sites, it offers a way to evaluate AI with confidence, on their own terms.  The completed framework will provide practical guidance on the safe and effective use of AI in clinical research site operations. It will be published as a living resource on the SCRS website so it can evolve alongside technology and the regulatory landscape. SCRS guidance is intended to support decision-making and does not constitute regulatory or legal advice, vendor endorsement, or certification.    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.

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.

October 22, 2026 – The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) is proud to announce Jennifer Byrne, Founder & CEO of Javara, as the recipient of the 2026 Christine K. Pierre Site Impact Award. Created in honor of late SCRS founder Christine K. Pierre, this award celebrates an industry leader who has made extraordinary contributions to amplifying the voice and advocating for the clinical research site community. Byrne was selected for her transformative vision and career-long dedication to strengthening site infrastructure and expanding research access. Throughout her 39-year career, Byrne has challenged traditional research models by embedding clinical trials directly within healthcare systems. Through Javara, she puts this vision into practice, equipping community sites with the sustainable infrastructure and partnerships needed to thrive. “This recognition is tremendously meaningful because it reflects the collective work of so many people who believe that every patient should have the opportunity to participate in research,” Byrne shared. “Receiving the Christine K. Pierre Site Impact Award validates the importance of our continued commitment to building a future where clinical research is more accessible, more trusted, and more connected to the communities we serve.” Under her leadership, Javara has served as an SCRS Global Impact Partner since 2022, and Byrne was recently invited to become a core member of SCRS’ new Public Policy committee. She actively advances the Society’s mission through industry meetings, publications and webinars, consistently sharing practical solutions to strengthen the broader site community. “Jennifer Byrne embodies the mission and legacy of Christine K. Pierre through her relentless advocacy for the clinical research site community,” said Allyson Small, Chief Operating Officer of SCRS. “From her foundational work as an SCRS Global Impact Partner to contributing to SCRS events and committees, Jennifer consistently elevates the voice of sites in conversations that shape our industry. She has dedicated her career to ensuring sites are valued, proving that investing in sites is the key to expanding research access and ensuring long-term sustainability.” The award was presented at the 2026 Global Site Solutions Summit in Orlando, Florida. Award nominations were open to any individuals employed by an SCRS member research site. For more information on the Christine K. Pierre Site Impact Award, visit the Global Site Solutions Summit website at sitesolutionssummit.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 site members 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. Learn more and get involved at myscrs.org. Our voice. Our community. Your Success.

September 3, 2026 – The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) today announced the finalists for the 2026 Eagle Award, the clinical research industry’s leading tool for evaluating and improving how sponsors and CROs partner with research sites.  Sponsor finalists: Bayer, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Merck/MSD, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi  CRO finalists: IQVIA, Medpace, Novotech, Parexel, Worldwide Clinical Trials  For more than a decade, the Eagle Award has been built on feedback directly from clinical research sites across the globe. Each year, sites score their sponsor and CRO partners across key categories, including business development, budgeting, contracts, payments, communication, study startup, and more.   New in 2026, site feedback is aligned to active study relationships in the past year and linked to specific therapeutic areas and site types. Each evaluation category includes qualitative feedback, giving sponsors and CROs context behind their scores. This gives the industry its most objective view of what is working well and opportunities for improvement within site-industry relationships.  “The SCRS Eagle Award places objective site feedback at the center of improving cross-industry collaboration. The output is different than internal feedback loops or even NPS findings.   Sites scored across the dimensions that define practical study performance and support the industry’s collective success,” said Sean Soth, Senior Vice President of Global Business Partnerships with SCRS.  “SCRS congratulates this year’s finalists for their continued commitment to site success and looks forward to celebrating the recipients.” One sponsor and one CRO that consistently earn top marks across all categories will be named the 2026 Eagle Award recipients. An executive summary of the results will be distributed to all SCRS site members and Global Impact Partners. Sponsors and CROs will also have the option to invest in deeper site intelligence reports, covering areas of exceptionality, areas of need, and how their organization compares to peer groups.  The 2026 Eagle Award recipients will be announced on October 17, 2026 at the Eagle Award Gala & Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Advarra, at the SCRS Global Site Solutions Summit in Orlando, Florida.   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 site members 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. Learn more and get involved at myscrs.org/. 

The organizations that benefit most from AI won't be the ones with the newest platforms or biggest tech budgets. They'll be the ones who already did the hard work of connecting research to healthcare and building real trust with patients and communities. Read on to see why the future of AI in clinical research depends less on the tools and more on the foundation you build before you use them.

That gap between "documented" and "prepared" isn't a training failure. It's an operational one, and it's costing sponsors time, compliance, and site goodwill. This whitepaper breaks down why the training model most sponsors rely on can't meet what ICH E6(R3) now expects, why legacy LMS platforms and CRO-delivered training can't close the gap, and what a sponsor-owned approach looks like when it works. Read on for proof points from sponsors who've already made the switch.

More complexity. Same expectations. Less time for patients. That's the reality facing research sites today, and it was front and center at SCRS West. This article breaks down what site leaders had to say about capacity, patient support, and what real operational relief actually looks like.

The sites that recruit best aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest database or budget. They're the ones that turn people, processes, and partnerships into a single working system. This article breaks down how to build that system, from cross-functional collaboration to long-term physician partnerships to using data without needing fancy tech. Learn how your site can turn independence into your biggest recruitment advantage.

Participants call the site when payments, travel, or support requests stall, even when another provider owns the answer. This article examines why vendor handoffs so often return to coordinators, what a usable handoff needs to transfer, and what sites should ask before enrollment begins.

CNS trials are among the most operationally complex studies in clinical research, yet the day-to-day experiences of the raters who administer them are rarely part of the conversation. To change that, Medidata and SCRS, in collaboration with Cogstate, surveyed clinical site staff actively running CNS trials to understand their operational challenges, technology experiences, and priorities for improvement. The findings reflect the lived experiences of CNS raters and provide a data-driven foundation for rethinking how trials and technology should be designed and supported.

2025 was a year of meaningful momentum for SCRS, marked by growing membership, expanding global reach, and practical initiatives that translated real site challenges into industry-wide action. Through education, advocacy, mentorship, and connection, SCRS deepened its support for the clinical research site community — launching training-reduction guidance, strengthening site-sponsor collaboration, and bringing together sites, sponsors, and CROs across summits on multiple continents. At the heart of it all remained a single consistent message: progress in clinical research depends on site success.

Sites are not facing a single AI governance challenge. They're facing two simultaneously — and they have almost no infrastructure for either.  On one side, sponsors and CROs are pushing AI tool adoption at an accelerating pace, often without providing sites the training, validation guidance, or vendor standards needed to use those tools responsibly.