Education and the next generation

Highlights 2023

• The training course database on the CR Careers website was expanded to include other relevant academic training options (not only training offered by the SCTO CTUs).
• The CR Careers website had more than 2,900 users.
• The Clinical Research Core Competencies Framework was updated to include core competencies related research projects under the Human Research Ordinance (HRO).
• The Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) Network trained more than 8,252 individuals.
• Switzerland’s first training course to become a patient expert was offered.

CR Careers website includes statistics, data science, and epidemiology courses 

The Clinical Research Careers (CR Careers) website helps medical students, young physicians, and all research professionals make their way in the complex and exciting field of clinical research. In 2023, the website was visited over 8,000 times by more than 2,900 users. The training course database on the CR Careers website was expanded with relevant statistics, data science, and epidemiology training options. Moreover, private funding opportunities were added to the website. These developments fit with the goals, recommendations, and measures formulated in the White Paper Clinical Research, published in July 2021 by the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS).

The CR Careers website was developed through a collaboration between SAMS, the SCTO, and unimedsuisse. It includes several work packages from the Roadmap 2016–2021 for Developing the Next Generation of Clinical Researchers, published in 2016 by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The website contains searchable databases with programmes for career support, funding, and mentoring as well as postgraduate training options in Switzerland. The website also includes the Clinical Research Core Competencies Framework for planning and conducting clinical trials and inspiring success stories of physicians who combine clinical research and clinical duties.

Clinical Research Core Competencies Framework for HRO projects

Young researchers starting down their clinical research career path often begin with Human Research Ordinance (HRO) projects. Moreover, most of the projects submitted to Swiss Ethics ommittees fall under the HRO. In order to help young researchers acquire the necessary professional qualifications, the core competencies necessary to run HRO projects were adapted from the Clinical Research Core Competencies Framework (CRCC Framework). This HRO competencies framework will be available online in 2024.

Largest clinical research training provider

In 2023, the SCTO CTU Network trained more than 8,252 researchers, mainly in good clinical practice (GCP) but also in other topics related to clinical research. In addition, the network launched with EUPATI-CH a new course to provide training to patient representatives for patient involvement in clinical research. In 2023, 23 patients graduated from the course, thus becoming EUPATI patient experts.