Quality Standards Established for Competition to Identify Best Researchers in the US

LONDON, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Senior clinical executives from top pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Shire and GSK, met recently at the US offices of Shire Pharmaceuticals to agree quality standards and define competencies for a global competition to recognise and encourage talented researchers in North and South America.

The US Clinical Researcher of the Year competition (http://www.usclinicalresearcher.com) provides professionals working within the clinical research fraternity an opportunity for personal development through a series of peer-mediated, competency-based exercises. It is partnered with and sponsored by the ACRP.

"There are very few opportunities for professionals to benchmark their skills within a protected environment, where the quality standards are established and judged by senior industry peers," notes Sean Morgan-Jones of organizers PharmaTimes. "The aims of the competition are three-fold. To provide a development opportunity for ambitious research professionals, to help organizations benchmark with their peers, and to deliver industry insights and learning."

Themes identified by the competition's Executive Steering Committee for the 2012 competition include risk-based monitoring and technology as a facilitator for patient recruitment. The committee's first task was to agree quality standards for the first phase of the competition, an online multiple-choice questionnaire based on ICH/GCP/FDA regulatory guidelines and ratified by lead examiners from ACRP. Susan Romberg, vice president of clinical operations for the Americas at competition sponsors PRA, is leading a sub-committee to develop the case study used in the second screening stages.

This year the qualifying score has been raised to 80%.

The finals and awards are on November 8, 2012, at the Executive Briefing Centre of competition sponsors and hosts, SAS, in Cary, North Carolina.

Up to 10 finalists will compete head to head for six titles, Study Nurse (working at the investigator site), New CRA (less than four years' experience), Experienced CRA (more than four years' experience), Trial Manager (working with a sponsor company), Project Manager (working within a CRO) and Clinical Research Team.

Jo West, from PRA and winner of the CRA category last year, commented: "This is a first class competition. I was challenged and exhilarated from the time of entering through to the awards evening. I would encourage all individuals to enter the competition to reinforce and build their confidence and knowledge to further their careers."

Entry is open for the 2012 US Clinical Researcher of the Year Competition. Go to http://www.usclinicalresearcher.com or email [email protected] or call +44-208-8788566

SOURCE Pharma Times