Corporate leaders who make “One Size Fits All” their go-to strategy may find that it’s only convenient right up until blowback arising from its application to real-world situations proves otherwise. For example, an amusement park that only offers its guests roller coasters will quickly find that its focus on just one type of thrill shuts out many potential visitors with a broader range of tastes in rides.
The presenters for an upcoming ACRP 2026 session in Orlando, taking inspiration from the area’s many amusement options, say that the same holds true for the onboarding experience in clinical research settings—no “one size” approach to it can possibly cover the organizational and individual needs for every incoming member of the clinical trials team.
For instance, notes Kelly Dunsky, Associate Director of Clinical Research Operations at The Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center, “What works well for onboarding a seasoned study coordinator at an academic medical center (AMC) won’t cover all the bases for an entry-level study coordinator. Both overcomplicated and oversimplified onboarding experiences can put retention goals for newcomers at risk.”
As they talk about “Building a Stronger Foundation in Clinical Research Through Reimagined Onboardings,” Dunsky and Amber Anaya, a Clinical Research Manager at OSU, will share insights gained from the transformation of the OSU Center for Clinical Research Management’s (CCRM’s) approach to onboarding to meet evolving needs in the research enterprise.
“Rather than setting onboarding tactics in stone, we needed a scalable, flexible, and role-specific training program that balanced standardization with individualization,” Anaya says. “To accomplish this, platforms like Microsoft Teams, REDCap, and OnCore CTMS were integrated to enhance training, compliance, and collaboration.”
Dunsky and Anaya will share key lessons, data insights, and practical tips to help attendees of their session build or refine their own onboarding systems. They’ll also show how collaboration with disease teams and other subject matter experts was key to creating content and individualized plans for onboarding experiences.
Building a Stronger Foundation in Clinical Research Through Reimagined Onboardings
Join Amber and Kelly at ACRP 2026 [April 24-27; Orlando, Fla.] as they explore the creation of a scalable, flexible, and role-specific training program that balances standardization with individualization. View complete schedule.
“As is the case at many AMCs, we face a complicated infrastructure for research at OSU,” Dunksy says. “CCRM partners with research teams to help them navigate this landscape, including onboarding clinical research staff and ensuring they have a strong foundation and the resources needed to conduct compliant research.”
Most recently, post-COVID-19 challenges led to increased turnover and more of the CCRM staff working remotely, which partially drove the goals for the new onboarding program, Dunsky adds. Among other details about the project’s design and implementation, she and Anaya will talk about these factors, show how the self-paced approach used now has increased and improved the unit’s training documentation and compliance efforts, and describe how it allows for continuous updates based on feedback and evolving needs.
Edited by Gary Cramer
