From Career by Chance to Profession by Design: Building a Research-Ready Clinical Research Workforce in the U.S.

As clinical research grows more complex and competition for talent intensifies, the industry faces a critical challenge: building a workforce that is prepared not only for today’s demands, but for the future of clinical research.

Developed from a multi-stakeholder workforce development symposium convened by ACRP with support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this publication explores one of the most pressing challenges facing the clinical research enterprise: how to build, sustain, and grow a research-ready workforce.

The paper calls for a transformative shift in how the industry thinks about workforce development and presents emerging consensus from leaders across sponsors, CROs, research sites, academia, regulators, and professional organizations on how to create clearer pathways into the profession and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the clinical research workforce.

Top Takeaways

Redefining workforce development. Clinical research must expand beyond hiring only experienced candidates and focus on identifying individuals with transferable skills, strong professional attributes, and growth potential.
Creating accessible career pathways. The publication highlights multiple routes into the profession, welcoming talent from healthcare, technology, education, and other sectors while supporting development through structured learning and experience.
Investing in research readiness. Foundational education in topics such as ethics, Good Clinical Practice, scientific principles, and data integrity can help prepare aspiring professionals for successful careers in clinical research.
Strengthening professional identity. Building a sustainable workforce requires clear career progression, shared standards, and recognition of Clinical Research Professionals as members of a distinct and essential profession.

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Why This Matters Now

The publication comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. clinical research. As national efforts such as Operation TrialBlazer seek to strengthen U.S. clinical research capacity and competitiveness, workforce development must become a strategic imperative. This publication examines how the industry can build a larger, more research-ready workforce through intentional career pathways, foundational education, and collaborative investment in talent development. Without a sustainable pipeline of qualified professionals, the industry’s ability to expand research capacity, accelerate innovation, and maintain global leadership will remain at risk.

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“There is no greater leverage point to advance clinical trial quality for tomorrow than a deep and strategic investment in the clinical research workforce of today.”

David Burrow, PharmD, JD, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

“This is a profession we need to care for and nurture. It needs and deserves explicit pathways for aspiring new members that map out both entry and progression, so it is truly seen as a career.”

Barbara Bierer, MD, Harvard Medical School

This paper was developed from a multi-stakeholder workforce development symposium convened by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), with support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number R13TR005703. Symposium participants represented a broad cross-section of the clinical research ecosystem, including sponsors, clinical research organizations (CROs), sites, academic thought leaders, educators, regulators, and professional organizations. The reflections synthesized capture an emerging cross-sectoral consensus about the cultivation and sustainability of the clinical research workforce of the future.