Clinical Research Level 1 Programme (March 2023 intake)

3 March 2023

Building a Strong Foundation for Clinical Research Coordinators to Run Clinical Trials and Research Studies Effectively

SCRI Academy resumed in-person classes and welcomed 30 Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) from across the public healthcare institutions in March 2023. After two-and-a-half years of online lessons due to the pandemic, the Level 1 Programme was off to a lively start as laughter and chatter filled the air during the ice-breaker games.

This entry-level course gives CRCs who are just starting out in their careers a firm head start. With the increasing complexity and demand for clinical research, it is vital that CRCs are equipped with the fundamental skills to ensure the success of clinical trials.
A number of the course participants were only a few months into their careers and were keen to learn more about study design, budgeting for sponsored studies, obtaining IRB approvals, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of the role of a CRC.

A large group of about 30 smiling young people posing together indoors in a modern office or classroom.

During the course, two newly minted CRC Educators from our CRC Educator Group programme also shared the skills needed to coordinate clinical trials and support principal investigators.

CRC Educators are experienced CRCs who are passionate about or keen to explore training and developing the next generation of CRCs. In addition to teaching opportunities, they will be able to receive sponsorships for professional certifications in clinical research or attend conferences to grow their career.

They spoke about topics such as how to use a study start-up checklist, how to screen and recruit potential participants and the roles and responsibilities within the research team. Attendees also learnt the importance of documentation, which includes performing protocol feasibility assessments, determining if a study site if it is suitable for a study, and arranging for site visits.

The CRC L1 programme is tailored to provide junior CRCs a comprehensive introduction to run clinical trials or a research study. To ensure that content remains up-to-date and aligned with industry practices, the course curriculum is taught by both SCRI Academy trainers and collaborators from the public healthcare institutions and regulatory authorities.

For this run of the programme, Dr Ma Libin, Senior Medical Director, Global Medical Affairs and Ms Foo Siew Min, Business Development Lead, Central Laboratory Services from Labcorp Development (Asia) Pte. Ltd., gave insights into industry standards and best practices on specimen collection. They discussed the importance of pack samples properly at-site, and shared useful resources such as step-by-step videos on sample collection and shipping. The speakers also emphasised that CRCs should adhere to the detailed instructions in the lab manual so as to ensure that the upstream efforts of CRCs in recruiting patients and administration of medications would not be in vain.

A man presents at a large screen showing a diagram, while three people sit at a table in front of him.

A woman in black speaks to seated attendees in a classroom while a man in blue stands nearby a whiteboard.

Dr Ma Libin and Ms Foo Siew Min sharing their experiences on what to look out for when CRCs receive a collection kit.

Over the seven-week programme, the participants gained a better grasp of how to apply fundamental CRC skills in their daily work. Additionally, interactive classroom activities created an engaging atmosphere where participants shared their experiences with new-found peers.

A collage of people collaborating in an office, working at tables with laptops and discussing near whiteboards.

Participants engaging in various group discussions and presenting to the class.

SCRI Academy would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners – Nanyang Polytechnic, National Healthcare Group, Health Sciences Authority, Labcorp Development (Asia) Pte. Ltd. and Ms Michellore Aguillar from SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit, for their unwavering support throughout the programme.

As the course came to a close, it was heartening to see new friendships forged where junior CRCs could form a support network among themselves. Congratulations to all 30 CRCs who completed the programme and we wish you a fulfilling career ahead.

The next run of the CRC Level 1 programme will be in September 2023. Registrations open from 15 June to 15 July 2023.

Click here (opens in new tab) to find out more about CRC Level 1 Programme.