Virb to Collaborate with Tufts CSDD on CRA Roundtable

October 18, 2022

Event to focus on the connection between CRA experience and performance.

Boston, MA, September 20, 2022 –(PR.com)– Virb is collaborating with researchers at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD) on a one-day roundtable on “CRA Performance and Experience in Clinical Research” for pharmaceutical and clinical research organization (CRO) executives on October 18, 2022, in Boston, MA. The clinical research associate (CRA) role within the industry workforce is often characterized by high turnover and recurring open positions resulting in organizations exploring ways to improve CRA recruitment and retention. The meeting will examine the role of CRAs in the clinical trial industry workforce and address key issues such as CRA training and experience and its overall impact on performance and quality.

Tufts CSDD will gather company data and insights before the meeting. Participants will hear from industry experts and will share and discuss topics on the shifting workforce for clinical research professionals, CRA recruitment and turnover, and planned solutions to chronic staffing shortages.

Executives from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, CROs, industry associations, and university leaders will discuss the following topics:

Tufts CSDD data on CRA experience and performance
Factors impacting the CRA industry shortage
New training approaches
CRA recruitment and improving CRA selection to address shortages and required skills
Accommodating hiring needs of new CRAs

“We are pleased to collaborate with Tufts CSDD, a global leader in assessing the time, cost, and risk of drug development innovation as well as the trends, factors, and practices impacting clinical trial execution,” says Garrett Walker, Founder and CEO of Virb. “The current industry staffing model is unsustainable; a shrinking workforce delays clinical trial starts and the availability of new drugs to improve lives. The industry challenge we face in providing a new generation of clinical research talent requires an industry solution.”

“We look forward to bringing together industry executives and thought leaders to examine the connection between CRA experience, training, and quality,” says Kenneth Getz, Executive Director of Tufts CSDD. “If we are to address shortages in the CRA workforce, the clinical research enterprise needs to consider innovative approaches to attract, recruit, educate, and manage this essential asset.”

About Virb

Virb is the first talent-as-a-service platform in the clinical trial industry. We bridge the opportunity gap for new talent in clinical research globally through innovative source, train, and deploy technologies. We believe in creating opportunities for all, promoting lifelong learning, and cultivating a passion to improve lives. We believe that the gap between clinical research jobs and qualified candidates is an opportunity gap. Our mission is to help close that gap with state-of-the-art training and well-paying jobs with flexibility and purpose. Employers adopting our source, train, deploy model secure a pipeline of scalable, job-ready, emerging talent tailored to their business needs. Students who qualify use us as their bridge to a guaranteed first job and a career in clinical research. Universities partner with us to provide students and alumni with experiential training that places them right into waiting jobs.