Applauding the Clinical Research Workforce

Clinical Researcher—February 2019 (Volume 33, Issue 2)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Jim Kremidas

 

 

 

Clinical research is a valuable profession, and it deserves to be treated as such. Whether the members of its workforce are saving lives, alleviating suffering, or helping people live healthier, more active lives, it is difficult to think of a more important calling.

Your Association is committed to advancing standards, certifications, and best practices to further professionalize the clinical research workforce. We announced several progressive initiatives last year, and we’ve got many more on tap in 2019. Watch this space for regular updates.

I’d like to take this opportunity to focus on one initiative that I’m particularly excited about.

Earlier this year, we announced the finalists for the second annual ACRP Innovation in Workforce Development Award. In April, we’ll recognize industry-leading organizational commitments to innovation in clinical research workforce development during the ACRP 2019 annual conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Representatives from each organization will present their workforce development initiatives during the conference to a panel of expert judges, who will determine the award recipient. Finalists will also present their innovative workforce development ideas in a special session Monday, April 15, during ACRP 2019.

ACRP’s Workforce Innovation Award is the only such program in clinical research to recognize an organization exemplifying the spirit of creativity and innovation through adaptation, improvement, or development of new processes or tools that result in improvement in workforce development quality.

Throughout the conference and during the ACRP Awards & Recognition Ceremony, we will also recognize recipients of the following awards:

  • Outstanding Leadership by a Clinical Research Coordinator
  • Outstanding Leadership by a Project Manager
  • Outstanding Leadership by a Principal Investigator
  • Advancing Public Awareness
  • ACRP-Avoca CRO Quality Award (as selected by research sites)
  • ACRP-Avoca Sponsor Quality Award (as selected by research sites)

Clinical research professionals are driven more by a desire to give back than they are for glory or hearing applause. Still, at ACRP we believe it is important to recognize those professionals and their organizations who are leading the way. Not only are they to be encouraged, but it’s our fervent hope they will serve to inspire others as we work together to deliver the best possible trials to patients.

I hope to see you in Nashville in April.

Jim Kremidas (jkremidas@acrpnet.org) is Executive Director of ACRP.