The SOCRA Blog
SOCRA 2026 Board of Directors Election
The 2026 SOCRA Board of Directors election provides Members with an important opportunity to shape the future leadership of the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Each year, SOCRA invites engaged and qualified Members to participate in the nomination and...
Board of Directors’ Statement on Immigration Enforcement Activities
February 18, 2026 The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) is concerned about the potential impact of immigration enforcement activities occurring in and around hospitals, universities, and research facilities. Such activities may contribute to anxiety...
Celebrate the 2025 President’s Award for Outstanding Service to SOCRA Winner, Abby Statler, PhD, MPH, MA, CCRP
"Believe in your impact. The clinical research profession is fundamental to medicinal innovation. This career provides the opportunity to propel novel therapies forward, changing the trajectory of human health. Speak life into your professional world, find your spark,...
SOCRA 2024 Year in Review & What to Expect in 2025
As 2024 comes to a close, we celebrate another successful year of growth, collaboration, and education within the clinical research community. Join us in reflecting on this year's milestones and looking ahead to the opportunities that 2025 will bring! SOCRA 2024 Year...
REDCap Project Building: A Tool for the Distribution and Management of Research Surveys and Databases
Several types of projects can be developed in REDCap. A traditional project is a blank slate. It can be used in a variety of ways, such as a data entry form. For example, a traditional project can be used to record subjects’ vital signs or demographic data. A virtual informed consent form, with secure signature lines, is another example of a traditional project.
The Crucial Skills That All CRAs (Monitors) Need
Learning soft skills should improve work-life balance for CRAs. Work-life balance means something different to each person and changes over time. For the author, having a healthy work-life balance now means having time for her family and friends. Healthy work-life balance also means not doing reports at 11:58 PM to hit the midnight deadline or spending her weekends traveling to clinical research sites instead of being with her family.
Finding Success and Belonging at the SOCRA Annual Conference: A First Time Attendee’s Experience
Holly Crandall BSN, RN, CCRP Indiana University School of Medicine This time last year, I was unsure if traveling to Montreal for the SOCRA Annual Conference would be a worthwhile investment in my career. As a research nurse, I’ve attended several conferences specific...
Strategies to Promote Inclusion and Decrease Language Barriers in Spanish Speaking Participants
Language barriers continue to be prevalent in the recruitment of Hispanic populations in clinical research. Diversity among research teams and participants ought to reflect the cultural and racial demographics of the general population. Bilingual staff can work closely with Spanish speaking study participants and make them feel more comfortable. Training Spanish speaking staff to be medically and culturally competent avoids inaccurate interpreting and may help to account for cultural differences in language or dialect.
Creating a Professional Workplace
Extensive research has been conducted on professionalism, including the Center for Professional Excellence Survey, which began in 2009. The Center for Professional Excellence, located at York College, wanted to learn how to prepare its students to be professionals in the workplace. The last data from the survey were available in 2015. Table 1 highlights the survey results.
Workforce Development Transformation and Implementation: The Critical Role of Leaders in Success
Identifying the steps and processes for staff development requires examination throughout the organization. Specifically, developing staff performance standards for every role at every level is the first step. For example, in reviewing the informed consent form, the requirements are different for the regulatory professional and for the clinical research staff member who is executing the informed consent process.