PharmaTimes Media and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) have announced the opening of the 2017 PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year—The Americas competition in association with the ACRP 2017 Meeting & Expo.

Designed to recognize and reward the talent and passion of industry and academic researchers, PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year—The Americas is a valuable learning and development opportunity for clinical researchers based in the Americas. The three-stage entry process has been designed to challenge and inspire clinical researchers, allowing them to benchmark their skills against those of their peers in a learning environment, and have them judged by an independent steering committee of high-level industry leaders.

“In support of our mission to promote excellence in clinical research, we are proud to work in association with PharmaTimes in recognizing individual and team excellence in the field,” said Jim Kremidas, ACRP executive director. “This competition is aligned with our goal of building and recognizing a workforce based on competence in clinical research. We are very excited to have this event associated with our annual Meeting & Expo.”

The PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year—The Americas competition will be held on April 28, 2017, in Seattle, Washington, in association with the ACRP 2017 Meeting & Expo. The ACRP 2017 Meeting & Expo, April 28 to May 2, will explore the future of clinical trial operations. Attendees will learn from the influencers, innovators, and regulators driving change in clinical trial operations. All members of the clinical research team will gain practical strategies to manage change, streamline operations, and minimize risk. The ACRP 2017 Meeting & Expo is the leading education and networking event for clinical research professionals.

Speaking about the PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year—The Americas competition, Stephanie Gonzalez, director of Project Delivery, PRA, and team member of Strategic Partnership Team of the Year 2016, said, “It was extremely rewarding that we could leverage our experience, trust and ability to communicate and collaborate. The competition itself and the process of participating in it was a valuable learning experience, which has enriched our day-to-day working relationship. I am so thankful for the opportunity the competition provided, and so proud of my team and our result.”

“The competition emphasizes the importance and real objective of clinical research, and gives us the opportunity of being recognized internally by our company, and also by the pharmaceutical clinical research market,” said Raquel Amorim, senior clinical research associate, PRA, and Experienced Clinical Research Associate of the Year 2016.

“The competition allowed us to think outside the box and really look at innovative ways to address common challenges in our industry,” said Lisa Ince, senior clinical research associate, Quintiles, and New Clinical Research Associate of the Year 2016.

“The Finals of the competition reflect real-world situations, timelines, and critical decisions that we face on a daily basis,” added Robert Robbins, clinical research director at Pinnacle Trials and Clinical Research Coordinator of the Year 2016. “For me, winning was a personal acknowledgement of my commitment and dedication to my study volunteers over the last 20 years.”

How the Competition Works

1. Candidates complete an online multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) containing questions based on ICG/GCP/FDA regulatory guidelines.
2. Those who achieve a 70% pass rate on the MCQ are invited to respond to a short Clinical Challenge, which will explore category-specific competencies.
3. The top candidates will be invited to compete in an on-the-day challenge on April 28 in Seattle, Washington, that will assess their competencies and skills against those of their peers.

For more information about the PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year—The Americas competition, please contact Gill Chalk at gill.chalk@pharmatimes.com or +44 (0)20 7240 6999, or visit http://www.usclinicalresearcher.com.

For more information about the ACRP 2017 Meeting & Expo, please visit http://conference.acrpnet.org.