2025 SCRS Award Recipients: The Leaders Shaping Progress in Clinical Research

This year’s SCRS Global Site Solutions Summit celebrated the people and organizations driving clinical research forward. From groundbreaking operational solutions to transformative leadership and measurable impact on patient outcomes, the award recipients represent the best of what collaboration, innovation, and commitment can achieve. These are the organizations and leaders setting the standard for what’s possible when excellence becomes the expectation.

Christine K. Pierre Site Impact Award – Mohammad Millwala

This award honors individuals whose leadership, advocacy, and vision make a profound and lasting impact on the global site community.

For nearly two decades, Mohammad Millwala has embodied the mission and values championed by Christine K. Pierre, amplifying the voice of clinical research sites, particularly those serving historically underserved populations. Under Millwala’s leadership, DM Clinical Research has grown from a single site in Houston to one of the largest independently owned site networks in the United States, with over 30 locations strategically placed in diverse communities.

As an SCRS Leadership Council member, active contributor to the IncluDE program, and the first site to join the Global Impact Partner program, his work reflects Christine K. Pierre’s legacy in action: bold, site-focused, and transformational.

Site Spark Award – Emeritus Research

Innovative, site-driven solutions that meaningfully improve how clinical trials are operationalized earn recognition through this award, presented in partnership with Pfizer.

Through feedback, experience, and research, Emeritus Research’s Quality and Training Team identified a disconnect between traditional training methods and their staff’s needs. The solution was a custom Training & Development (TAD) website built using Canva and Scribe, designed to be engaging, informative, and self-empowering. Instead of relying on SOP-heavy training, the platform features an interactive training calendar, process playbooks that distill common study elements into simple 2-3 page breakdowns, and a video library with quick system tutorials and therapeutic area content.

The result is a one-stop shop for all staff across every department, from admin to medical. By developing targeted training that addresses the specific needs of their site rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all platform, Emeritus Research has created a modern, digestible, and highly accessible hub that elevates staff confidence and consistency.

Environmental Sustainability Impact Award – EMS Healthcare

Research sites that embed environmental responsibility into their operations with measurable, science-aligned progress were recognized through this inaugural award sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

EMS Healthcare is leading the industry with a comprehensive sustainability strategy: 289.7 tonnes of CO₂ eliminated, 95% renewable electricity, 83% waste-emission reduction, 100% landfill diversion, solar-powered mobile units, fleet decarbonization, and ISO 14001-aligned governance. With Net Zero targeted by 2045, they’re setting the benchmark for climate-conscious clinical research.

Excellence in Patient Centricity Award – Suburban Research Associates

Sites that design trial experiences around the needs, comfort, and voices of their patients are honored through this award presented by Sanofi.

Suburban Research Associates delivers patient care that goes beyond protocol requirements: evening and weekend hours, seven-day scheduling, free Uber transportation, meals, emotional-support-driven staffing, and real-time feedback loops. When a New Jersey patient faced hours of travel for additional tests, the team acted within days to find a facility just minutes from their home with a same-day appointment, eliminating multiple long commutes.

Their deeply personal approach extends beyond logistics. Staff receive special training to assess emotional needs during psychiatric studies. Post-visit surveys are collected after every appointment and acted upon immediately. One patient was so moved by the compassion provided that they hugged the coordinator at the end of their visit. The results speak to the impact: a 30% return rate across multiple studies, free psychiatric follow-up care offered 1-2 months post-study, and an annual GITA meeting to reflect and innovate on patient care strategies, rooted in the philosophy of selfless service.

Site Excellence in Patient Inclusion Award – Encore Research Group / Flourish Research

A sustained, measurable commitment to ensuring clinical trials reflect the diversity of the communities they serve earns sites recognition through this award, presented in partnership with Syneos Health.

Since 1997, Encore Research Group has been building an expanding network of independent, multi-specialty research sites across Northeast Florida and the Nature Coast. Their comprehensive Diversity & Inclusion Plan establishes a framework to improve access, build community trust, and ensure equitable opportunities for all participants regardless of background.

The approach is built on action: community mapping to identify underserved populations, over 100 strategic partnerships with local organizations, advocacy groups, cultural centers, and faith-based institutions, culturally tailored educational materials and grassroots outreach campaigns, structured patient feedback mechanisms, inclusive recruitment materials and multilingual resources, and demographic tracking across all trials to identify gaps and enhance retention. With more than 2,700 trials completed, a network of 50+ physician investigators, and deep roots in the communities they serve for more than 25 years, Encore is advancing health equity through true community integration.

Eagle Award

Now in its 16th year, the Eagle Award celebrates outstanding collaborations between clinical research sites and their sponsor and CRO partners. Sponsored by Advarra, this award recognition is determined by the global site community. Nearly 2,000 sites and 16,300+ evaluations assessed partners across key operational categories, including business development, budgeting, contracts, payment processes, communication, efficient study start-up, support for underrepresented communities, and effective technology.

The finalists included AstraZeneca, Lilly, Merck/MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi in the sponsor category, and Fortrea, IQVIA, Medpace, Parexel, Thermo Fisher Scientific-PPD, and Syneos Health in the CRO category. Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) and Medpace rose above this exceptional field, earning the highest scores and demonstrating what true partnership looks like in practice.

Summit Standout Awards

Celebrating the organizations and individuals that embody the spirit of industry collaboration and bring noteworthy energy to the Global Site Solutions Summit, the Summit Standout Awards, sponsored by RealTime eClinical Solutions, recognize unique contributions across multiple categories.

UniTriTeam earned the Magic ClinTech Stack Award for the top software tools that make the biggest difference in patient care, workflows, and outcomes. InnovativeTrials received the Best Exhibit Design Award for their interactive, noteworthy, and innovative exhibit booth. The Summit Spirit Award, selected by SCRS staff, went to Dan Kearney, Chief Executive Officer at SiteCentric CTMS, whose contributions exemplify the collaborative energy that makes the Summit a cornerstone event for the clinical research community.

Progress in clinical research doesn’t happen by accident. Clinical research succeeds when sites, sponsors, CROs, and service providers work together with shared purpose. This year’s award recipients demonstrate what becomes possible when collaboration moves beyond transactional relationships and toward genuine partnership. These organizations and individuals aren’t just raising the standard; they’re rewriting it. Through bold ideas, measurable outcomes, and unwavering commitment to sites and communities, they’re leading clinical research into its next era. Their spirit of partnership is what will carry the industry forward.