Clinical Research Associate
The overseer of clinical trials.
Education: Bachelor's degree. ACRP or SOCRA certification may be required.
Average annual salary: $64,000
A clinical research associate helps ensure proper study conduct and timely generation, review and retrieval of quality data. Clinical research associates oversee each stage of a clinical trial, from site selection to monitoring study participant safety and site conduct to ensuring studies run according to the protocol.
Clinical research associates also assist with site close-out at the end of a study, verifying that all data has been collected and all documentation is properly filed and retained.
Typically employed by contract research organizations (CROs), the clinical research associate liaises during all steps of the trial, communicating between the clinical trial sponsor, the site and regulatory agencies.
Main responsibilities include:
- Review trial methodologies and perform risk assessments
- Ensure compliance with study protocol and training in all aspects of clinical research
- Write site visit reports to document observations and findings
Skills:
- Complete understanding of good clinical practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Ability to facilitate communication between multiple parties
Personality:
- Logical
- Organized
- Meticulous
- Diplomatic
- Critical thinker