Survey Results
Last year we asked research staff and managers to tell us about their staff training needs. We want to thank those who took the time to complete the questionnaire. The results are in and here is what we learned.
- The majority of those who responded to the survey either have limited or no funding for training and education activities.
- Over one-third of respondents said online courses, including webinars, were made available to research support staff. Additionally, respondents said online courses and webinars either are or would be the most useful to staff.
- Frequency of training is variable, with most institutions reporting either annual or quarterly.
- Content needs also varied, but 45% of respondents said regulatory training, such as good clinical practices, regulations and IRB management, was their biggest need. Respondents also said they needed training in strategies to effectively execute clinical research studies.
Training for research staff is critical to ensure awareness of ethics involved in human subjects research, and to stay abreast of regulatory and compliance issues related to clinical research. This is true not only for onboarding new clinical research staff, but also for continuing education and professional development of experienced professionals.
Unfortunately, with the majority of respondents suggesting they do not receive adequate training, institutions may be missing an opportunity to optimize their workforce, and may be putting institutions at risk of non-compliance when their staff are not properly trained.
Many research professionals, from research coordinators to new investigators, may be eligible to take CITI Program’s online courses through their institutions’ subscription. Check with your research office to find out if they are organizational subscribers.
Resources
Learn more about organizational subscriptions: https://about.citiprogram.org/en/organizational-subscriptions
Learn more about online training for clinical research coordinators through CITI. We offer both basic and advanced courses. https://about.citiprogram.org/en/series/clinical-research-coordinator-crc/
