Remote Clinical Research Jobs | How To Find Clinical Research Jobs

Clinical research associates play a significant role in organizations conducting clinical trials, studies and researches.

They possess extensive knowledge of medical science and impart analytical acumen in resolving various clinical issues bringing in innovations in the world of medicine. Hospitals and other organizations related to pharmaceuticals and medicinal research are nowadays seeking remote professionals for executing this noble profession. The result is a substantial rise in remote clinical research jobs, hiring professionals from various regions of the world.

If you are aspiring a career as a clinical research associate, then this article will provide you answers to several of your questions. It will help you to understand what is a clinical research coordinator? What are the skills required for remote clinical research jobs? What are the duties, roles and responsibilities of a clinical research associate? And the different websites offering remote and work from home clinical research jobs.

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What is a Clinical Research Coordinator?

A clinical research coordinator or CRC works under the guidance of the clinical Principal Investigator or PI. The Principal Investigator primarily designs and manages the end to end clinical researches and trials. The CRC facilitates the execution of the trials and researches coupled with the entire coordination activities among the various stakeholders and the research team. He or she is also responsible to a great extent in providing appropriate guidance to follow the rules and guidelines related to medicinal research and statutory policies. A CRC is also referred to as a Clinical Trial Manager due to the role’s importance in the smooth execution of clinical trials.

Important Fact:

A clinical research associate plays a vital role in clinical trials in adjudging the success of the research while following the appropriate study protocols, conducting quality assurance tests and complying with the clinical guidelines. Therefore clinical research coordinator jobs have earned quite a prominence in the world of remote working.

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The Skills required for remote clinical research jobs

Let us now try to understand the key essential skills required for the successful execution of clinical research coordinator jobs,

1. Smart Coordination

Coordination is the keyword in the life of a clinical research associate. Many stakeholders and professionals are involved during clinical studies and trials. Communicating and coordinating with them to ensure all the protocols and rules are followed and completed within the stipulated time are considered vital in remote and work from home clinical research jobs.

2. Efficient Management

Possessing efficient management skills is one of the key criteria for success in remote medical research jobs. Stakeholder management, team management, time management, resource management, and financial management are the preferred skills of a clinical research associate. It is vital to adopt these qualities before applying for any home-based clinical research jobs.

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3. Excellent Communication

Both verbal and written communication skills are equally important for earning a promising career in the world of remote clinical research jobs. You need to constantly interact and communicate with the research team, the Principal Investigator, the subjects for study, the lab staff and the company’s leadership. You need to spell out the directives in clear and concise terms while maintaining appropriate dignity and respect in your mode of communication.

4. Effective Monitoring

Day to day monitoring of the research progress tasks and activities and the execution of the clinical trials fall under the purview of a clinical research coordinator. Therefore you need to scale up your monitoring skills before applying for remote or home-based clinical research jobs. Remote professionals have to perform this task diligently since they are not physically present in the work premises.

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5. Scientific Acumen

Knowledge of scientific concepts related to medical research and execution of clinical trials are essential skills required by clinical research associates. They need to understand in details the research being conducted and provide appropriate guidance to follow the strategies as per the guidelines and protocols established by the clinical laws and regulations. Hospitals and medical firms hiring for remote medical research jobs or health research jobs prefer professionals with sound knowledge of clinical research and trials.

Did you know?

There are several task forces or groups existing in different countries for analyzing and debugging the skills or competencies required for achieving success in clinical research jobs. It is advisable to read through their thesis and documents for better understanding of the life of a clinical research associate.

6. Medical Safety and Ethical Guidelines

The clinical trials are often conducted on human beings, most patients suffering from some particular ailments. But in doing so, the hospitals and medical research firms need to follow the ethical guidelines for human safety. Learning and understanding the details of such guidelines are critical for clinical research associates. While hiring for clinical research jobs, you will be interviewed on this aspect as the reputation of a firm depends largely on ensuring medical safety and following the recommended ethical guidelines.

Tip:

It is important to read through each of the guidelines and policies in details. In case of any discrepancies and lack of knowledge, it is advised to consult experts or join forums to seek guidance and clarifications.

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7. Site readiness

The site where the research and the clinical trials are conducted need to be equipped with all the required amenities and infrastructure for the successful execution of the study. Clinical research coordinators must be aware of the equipment, people, documents, subjects etc. required to ensure site readiness. They need to analyze the design and structure of each clinical research and trial and ensure the availability of all the requisite provisions.

Important Fact:

Availability of the requisite materials and content at the study site determine the timely completion of the research and trial work.

8. Data Management and Security

There are two types of data involved in clinical research and trials. One is the data required for performing the analysis and research work. And another is the data created as part of the research and clinical trials outcome. Both are vital and important, containing sensitive and confidential matter. Clinical research associates need to ensure both the types of data are secured and not disclosed to the public or any other departments of the hospital or firm without proper authorization.

Did you know?

Data breach and violation of security protocol are punishable by law in all the countries of the world. While hiring for remote or stay at home clinical research jobs, firms would strictly question you on this vital aspect. Hence it is advisable to be aware of the policies and guidelines.

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9. Technical Competency

Working remotely demands constant coordination and interaction with the Principal Investigator, the research team, the patients and other internal stakeholders. Remote clinical research associates need to continuously leverage online applications and tools for successful collaboration, interactions and even monitoring the daily progress. It is important to maintain updated software and hardware for laptops or desktops and continuous internet connectivity without any disruptions. Unless you possess adequate knowledge of the latest updates in software, hardware, audio, and video conferencing tools, you will face difficulty in successfully executing your job.

Remember:

It is recommended to test and check your installed applications and network connectivity before initiating any conversations or meetings.

10. Financial Knowledge

Clinical research associates need to plan and record the budget required for conducting clinical research and trials. They need to sometimes arrange for sponsorship from different industries or companies promoting research and trials. Additionally, they need to ensure that the study site is equipped with all the devices, hence maintain the stock of equipment. Managing the expenditures is also essential for communication to the sponsor and the company leadership. Hence a thorough knowledge of finance, recording the incoming and outgoing cash flows, applying the relevant taxation and statutory rules are important skills required for clinical research jobs.

Tip:

Awareness on the tools and applications that facilitate the financial planning, budgeting, calculations and generating reports is beneficial for faster maintenance and control of the daily balances.

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What are the Knowledge Areas that need focus for remote clinical research jobs?

Before applying for remote clinical research jobs, you need to acquire expertise in specialized knowledge areas as enlisted below:

1. Medical jargons and terms 
2. Clinical and medical processes
3. Clinical trial and research methodologies
4. English language and optionally any specific language of a region as preferred by the firms
5. Roles and Responsibilities of both internal and external stakeholders concerning the clinical research and trials
6. Clinical guidelines and practices, for example, HIPAA, FDA, HCCA
7. Management, organization and coordination skills
8. Preliminary formulas of Mathematics and Statistics related to scientific research
9. Experience in handling critical research incidents and trials (if applying as experienced personnel)
10. Understanding the procedures followed in the research labs and the equipment used

Important Fact:

Knowledge and understanding of the guidelines and regulations specified by various healthcare and regulatory associations and acts like Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), Health  Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) etc. are mandatory requirements for a clinical research associate.

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Desired qualifications for remote clinical research jobs?

1. Academic Qualifications

For applying in remote health research jobs or clinical research jobs, professionals must possess a Bachelor’s degree in the area of clinical or health science. For clinical research entry level jobs, the degree along with a minimum of 5 years of experience in any small firm or organization or even an agency specializing in clinical research is acceptable. The entry level jobs essentially involve being as lab technicians or assistants and even healthcare workers, thus providing an opportunity to gain experience for advanced roles. For applying in higher positions or roles, a Master’s degree in areas such as biology, microbiology, biotechnology, and biochemistry with work experience is preferable.

2. Competency Enhancements

Besides work experience, clinical research associates stand a better chance to be accepted in the firms with added training or certification. Most employers require clinical analysts to have previous work experience. Students may be able to gain valuable training through university research work. The training generally must include understanding the clinical research protocols, rules and regulations mandated by the various Healthcare Associations, practical experience of working as assistants of clinical research experts. 

Tip

Check for certification programs offered by various institutes for clinical research associates, and coordinators. The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) are two renowned organizations offering certification and training programs on clinical research.

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Organizations offering training courses or programs on clinical research

• The National Institutes of Health 
• Harvard Catalyst Clinical Research Center
• International Association of Clinical Research Nurses
• Association of Clinical Research Professionals 
• Oregon Health & Science University

Duties and Responsibilities handled as part of remote clinical research jobs?

Before applying for or considering yourself eligible for remote and stay at home clinical research jobs, you need to be acquainted with the duties and responsibilities of a clinical research associate: 

• Ensuring the research objectives are fulfilled with the desired outcome
• Safety and security of the patients subjected to the clinical trials
• Completion of the researches and trials as per the specified deadlines
• Planning and preparing the budget required for research and trials as well as ensuring the arrangement of financial expenses and payments.
• Informing the patients about the details of the tests and trials to be conducted
• Maintain the required data for smooth execution of the research and trials in the site including the case reports and medicines prescribed
• Ensuring the outcome data is well preserved and maintained as per sensitive and confidentiality protocols
• Monitor the study and research conducted as per the protocols and rules established by the national, state and local healthcare regulatory associations and agencies
• Coordinate and communicate with the lab personnel and the research team on the lab experiments and findings

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• Acquire knowledge on the best practices and industry standards followed for research and studies and impart the same to your firm or company leadership.
• Ensure proper maintenance and preservation of the samples collected from the patients or subjects of study
• Attend seminars and conferences related to advancement in clinical research strategies and methodologies
• Prepare records for quality assurance audits conducted by the regulatory healthcare authorities
• Conduct healthcare campaigns and advertise the upcoming study and research objectives to enrol subjects
• Site readiness with the requisite documents, infrastructure, equipment and the study subjects
• Arrange for sponsors or financers for a particular study or research, schedule site visits for them and answer their queries
• Maintain the list of subjects enrolled for each research or clinical trial activity and control their involvement or presence for the study
• Gather consent from the subjects as an agreement to participate in the clinical research and trial procedures
• Prepare the different reports and documents related to the research and trials for example manuals, progress reports, risk register, protocol worksheets, diagnosis reports, test reports.
• Delivery of medicines or medical devices to the patients or study subjects based on the instructions and guidance from the research team

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Organizations hiring for remote clinical trial manager jobs

• Hospitals
• Medical schools, colleges and universities
• Pharmaceutical companies and firms
• Contract research organizations
• Clinical research institutes

What is the average remote clinical researcher salary?

The average remote clinical researcher salary depends on various factors that include the region, the academic qualifications, years of experience, certifications acquired, training programs attended and proficiency level in the field of clinical research and trial. Several studies have been conducted in different countries of the world, the key results of average annual clinical researcher salary are INR 175000 in India, USD 55645 in the US, CAD 49458 in Canada, GBP 27,096 in the UK, SGD 32042 in Singapore and R 180,000 in South Africa.

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Websites offering opportunities for Remote Clinical Trial Manager Jobs

Several websites offer opportunities for remote clinical research jobs in different regions of the world. The jobs posted are for both entry level and experienced remote clinical research associates. You can register and create a profile on each of the websites, and upload your resume for recruiters to scan through your profile and consider for hire. The jobs can be searched based on location, type of employment, salary, or companies. The websites also provide free online guides and resources for assisting and supporting the aspiring clinical research coordinator or trial managers. Some of the key websites offering a listing of remote clinical research jobs are enlisted below for your quick reference:

• Indeed
• Naukri
• Linkedin
• FlexJobs
• Ziprecruiter
• Glassdoor
• Working Nomads
• Simply Hired
• Virtual Vocations
• Remotive
• Euro Pharma Jobs
• Pharmi Web
• Workopolis
• Jooble

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Expected the article has provided you with all the necessary information required for being a remote clinical research coordinator. Interest in the field of science, especially in biology, is very important for pursuing this particular job profile. A special fascination for clinical and medicinal research, study and analysis will keep you motivated throughout your entire career. Clinical research associates are expected to be vigilant in observing the patients and their changing behaviour as per the clinical trials conducted on them. A respected and valuable profession, bringing in innovations and advancements in the field of medicine.