A certified clinical research coordinator is a person who helps coordinate, administer, and manage research and clinical trial projects. This person typically works under the supervision of a head researcher or investigator. He often works to make sure that the projects and trials are in compliance with applicable regulations and standards. Often, a person in this field also focuses on keeping subjects safe during research projects and clinical trials as well as documenting the steps taken to ensure safety.
The job of a certified clinical research coordinator includes helping to facilitate various aspects of a clinical trial or research study. A person in this position usually assists with such things as scheduling employees who are working on a trial, enrolling trial participants, and organizing schedules for trial participation. He may also spend some of his time recruiting participants for research studies and clinical trials. Sometimes he may also help get staff members ready for their roles in trials and research projects. He may, for example, be charged with explaining a new hire’s responsibilities to him.
Managing data and overseeing documentation are usually major parts of a certified clinical research coordinator’s job. A person with this title is usually in charge of maintaining the data from a trial or project and completing forms and other paperwork. For example, it is often his job to collect information from individuals who participate in a clinical trial and enter it into a database. Often, a person in this field also helps monitor studies and make sure guidelines are not overlooked or ignored.
A person who wants to become a certified clinical research coordinator typically starts by completing his high school education or earning an equivalency diploma. After earning a high-school-level credential, he usually goes on to earn an associate’s degree in applied science or a related field. Among the subjects a person may study in pursuit of this degree are clinical trial pharmacology, clinical research management, statistics, and regulatory requirements. A person pursuing this degree may also have to take some general courses, such as college algebra and composition.
The requirements for becoming certified as a clinical research coordinator may depend on the jurisdiction in which a person is seeking his credential. Typically, however, certifying organizations require candidates to have experience in the field and pass an exam. Certification many help a person in this field to have more job opportunities or secure higher pay.