Become a Coordinator

A CRC is a professional who, regardless of job title, works at a clinical research site under the immediate direction of a principal investigator and coordinates the daily clinical trial activities, under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guidelines.

The CRC Core Competency Lesson plan has been designed to provide the foundational competencies required for clinical research coordinators (CRCs) and is ideal for the new CRC. Highlights of the program include:

1. A blended approach of Self-Study, eLearning and Facilitated Web or F2F sessions:

• ACRP has optimized the program to deliver content in a format this is most effective and efficient - utilizing valuable trainer/classroom time only for more complex concepts, discussion and interactivity while serving the needs of more standardized knowledge transfer with eLearning and reading resources. This approach ensures all participants not only receive key concepts but are able to interpret and apply them while on the job.
• This empowers the learners to invest in their own learning and allows flexibility in delivery.
• Designed to maximize virtual sessions for cost effectiveness.

2. Foundational competencies were mapped to the core ICH GCP Principal Investigator (PI) Responsibilities as a framework for conveying that the CRC plays a key role in supporting the fulfillment of the investigator’s responsibilities (see Course Details below)

• The competencies were also cross referenced against ACRP’s Entry level CRC Competency Development and Assessment Roadmap as a way to confirm the priority competencies for entry level CRCs

3. The competencies are categorized by those that can be developed through knowledge (training) vs. those that need to be developed through on-the-job experience and mentoring

• Note: Medical Care, Systems Training, Site SOPs, HIPAA, specimen collection and management, equipment calibration, budget and financial management and others are added in as organization requires; our training covers ICH GCP competencies organized by the Joint Task Force (JTF) for Clinical Trial Competency framework

4. Incorporates 15 of ACRP’s eLearning/simulation modules along with robust regulatory references and guidelines as well as visually impactful “infographics” for learners to gain the theory thereby maximizing discussion and interaction with the facilitator during the live/virtual sessions

5. Includes 13, 60-90 minute live coaching sessions with an experienced trainer in the region that can be offered weekly or on a compressed schedule based on your needs

6. Culminates in the completion of ACRP’s competency-based Entry Level Knowledge Assessment (ELKA); a 50 question, on-line assessment to confirm foundational knowledge in the competencies.

No. The training is FREE to selected program participants.

Qualified applicants must be 18-years old with at minimum a High School Diploma and reside in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Preferred applicants include healthcare professionals with a community college degree or higher and active participants of the MCA’s Clinical Trial Consortium.

Typically, a bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a science or health-related field of study, but it is not necessary. The ACRP CRC training available through this program will also give you a competitive advantage over other candidates with prospective employers.

The MCA’s Clinical Trial Academy currently does not provide on-the-job training. Most sites will provide you with on-the-job training in addition to some classroom training.

Once you gain sufficient experience as a CRC, you can evolve into a Clinical Research Site Manager. Site Managers oversee all aspects of the clinical trial management for their trial location and may even manage several different trial sites, with the CRCs for each site reporting to them. See the attached clinical research professional career lattice (Appendix B) for additional information about professional advancement opportunities. Finally, those with a BA or higher. however, are more likely to advance more quickly.

The following core competency domains and guidelines Association for Clinical Research Professionals, (ACRP) developed in collaboration with the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency, provide a framework for the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to perform the CRC job effectively. Clinical trial sites should familiarize themselves with these new domains and competency guidelines in order to promote the quality and standardization of the research profession and to ensure research professionals receive training vetted by industry professionals they need to be successful over-time. CRC’s can use the following Core Competency Guidelines for self-assessment, competence gap analysis, and creating personalized professional development plans.

You will receive a certificate of completion upon completing the training. That said, you will need to have a few years of experience before you will be eligible to become certified as a CRC. The level of school and/or the degree acquired by an individual will reduce the amount of experience or requirements you will need to be eligible to take the exam for CRC certification. Professional certification is available through The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) and The Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). Click this link for more information.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research (APCR)
Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)
Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA)
Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS)
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program *CITI is free for TTUHSC, BCOMM, UTEP