Clinical Researcher

In this article: +

A clinical researcher usually works under the direction of the principal investigator (PI), who is in charge of designing, conducting, and managing a clinical trial from a high level. It is the clinical researcher’s job to support, facilitate, and organize daily clinical trial activities.¹

The specific title or classification for different “clinical researchers” varies depending on where they work and/or their seniority-level, but this page focuses more on entry-level and less experienced clinical researchers. Entry-Level Clinical Researchers are sometimes called Clinical Research/Trial:

Coordinators
Associates, or
Assistants

What exactly is Clinical Research/Clinical Trials?

Clinical research is essentially rigorous, scientific testing that must take place before allowing a treatment, drug, and/or medical procedure to be provided to consumers.

Furthermore, before a treatment or drug can be prescribed and sold, it has to be proven both safe and effective. To accomplish this, pharmaceutical companies, universities, and health organizations put drugs through clinical research (aka clinical trials/studies).

This research involves a lot of documentation, analysis, observation, and organization. A team of professionals administer the clinical studies (including clinical researchers). ²

What Do Clinical Researchers Do?

Clinical research projects evaluate the safety and effectiveness of drugs or medical treatments. This requires attention to detail, careful planning, proper execution, and clear ethical standards when screening, monitoring, and directing study participants. Clinical researcher’s responsibilities can vary depending on where they work and how experienced the individual is but some common duties are:

Carefully organize clinical studies to produce the most accurate results possible.
Maintain legal records of what goes on during studies, including case reports and drug dispensation records.
Closely track and manage clinical data.
Present these reports to senior researchers, and/or external regulatory agencies.
Ensure that participants understand and voluntarily consent to a study.
Carefully vet prospective study participants to make sure their participation is safe.
Often advise sponsors of the study (like a pharmaceutical company paying to develop a drug) on procedural issues.
May also schedule the facilities and analyze the risks of clinical studies.

Many clinical researchers work in research centers, pharmaceutical labs, universities, and large hospitals.³

What qualifications/experience is required to become a Clinical Researcher?

To secure a job as a Clinical Researcher, professionals usually have at least a four-year bachelor’s degree in a scientific-related field. However, some employers require an additional two-year master’s degree, particularly for more senior-level Clinical Research positions.

Typical courses to take in preparation for this career include:

Students may have to take and pass a licensing exam to become a clinical research coordinator. Additionally, students may consider internships working in a lab to get familiar with the typical working environment. ⁴

What types of Clinical Research Jobs are out there?

Below are some common types of Clinical Research:

Treatment research
Prevention research
Diagnostic research
Screening research
Quality of life research
Genetic studies
Epidemiological studies (seeking patterns and causes of diseases and disorders)

Within these branches, there are a variety of positions. Those in the clinical research field can work in universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, or government positions. They can work with data in an office environment, administer trial drugs and therapies alongside patients or instruct physicians, residents, and technicians about proper clinical procedures.⁵

What types of skills are necessary to be a successful Clinical Researcher?

Strong communication skills – written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
The ability to build effective relationships with trial center staff and colleagues
Good with numbers and managing data
Attention to detail
Presentation skills
The ability to multitask and make quick decisions
Project management skills
Flexible and adaptable approach to work
Organizational and administrative skills – the job involves a lot of documenting and recording information through computerized processes
An understanding of the importance of good clinical practice (GCP), and ethical standards⁶

What are some challenges of being a Clinical Researcher?

Hours can be tough if working on a strict deadline.
Tasks can be repetitive at times.
For entry-level and less experienced researchers, salary is typically low.
Can be stressful multi-tasking since being precise and careful are very important when running clinical trials.

What are some benefits of being a Clinical Researcher?

Seeing a project through from start to finish can be rewarding.
The work you do is often very important and can play a role in helping people’s lives.
Learn a lot working with experts in the field and getting accustomed to relevant processes and terminology.
A great experience to have if planning on going to medical school or beginning a career in medicine/healthcare.

Typical Salary?

Salary varies depending where you do research and what your seniority-level is. Typically, for an entry-level Clinical Researcher, without extensive relevant experience, the salary is between $30k-50k.⁷

Should I become a Clinical Researcher?

If you are looking to gain exposure to clinical work and/or gain job experience that looks good for medical school applications, you should consider looking into clinical research roles. Whether you want to go to med school or not, clinical research allows you to be a part of very important projects and a rapidly growing industry.

Relevant Forum Discussions

Want To Further Discuss?

Think we are missing important information? Had trouble understanding some sections of this page? Anything else you are still wondering about? Please let us know on the feedback page!