5 reasons why you should consider a career in Clinical Research
The life sciences sector is one of the UK's most lucrative industries, with a turnover of £88.9 billion reported in 2020. There's never been a more exciting or interesting time to join the 268,000 people who are directly employed by the UK's life sciences sector, particularly as we look for treatment for COVID-19. With ever-more advanced technologies making their way onto the marketplace, bringing with them the chance to delve even further into everything from medicines to the way that the human body is structured, working in life sciences and pharmaceuticals brings with it the chance to get involved in one of the country’s most dynamic industries.
That includes clinical research. Clinical research, and clinical trials, are an important step in developing new medicines that can safely be used and distributed through GPs, clinics and hospitals to the thousands of people admitted to A&E each day and the thousands more who access the health service through other avenues. Not only is it an interesting and varied job, but it’s also one that is essential to healthcare systems across the world, and one that we at ICON go the extra mile to support. From encouraging new talent to developing employees in their existing roles, our commitment to nurturing passionate researchers is a continuous source of importance to us.
For those interested in the field or already working in clinical research, here are five reasons why it makes for a brilliant career.
Help make a difference in people’s lives
Clinical research can make all the difference when it comes to saving peoples’ lives, or improving their quality of life. Not only do clinical trials trial new drugs and medicines for general use by the population, such as vaccines for COVID-19, they also tackle diseases that were previously thought incurable, such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, nervous system disorders like Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Even if the work you do might not result in an immediate breakthrough, it will be put in a database where other scientists can study your research and work towards making their own. A perfect example of this is the development of the COVID-19 vaccines which was carried out so rapidly because researchers did not need to start from scratch. SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the coronavirus family, and as research has found, there are hundreds of coronaviruses, including four that can cause the common cold.
If you choose to pursue a career in clinical research you can be sure that you'll make a difference in people’s lives, whether through curing patients in new ways, or working to combat increasingly-prevalent issues like antibiotic resistance, especially given that no new antibiotics have been discovered since 1984.
You’ll develop if you work with the right companies
Clinical research is an excellent career to get involved in if you want to develop your role and push yourself, and at ICON, that’s something we take extremely seriously. Given that the industry expectation is that you need two years of experience within the industry to work as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) and monitor tests, there is a shortage of CRAs, but no shortage of talent waiting to be trained.
That’s why we’ve taken a proactive approach to developing a strong pipeline of CRA talent, investing in the learning and development of our talented internal staff, and opening the doors to new graduates or study co-ordinators who want to get involved in the industry and are interested in discovering how to get clinical research experience. With a variety of development programmes, from the six-month CRA Graduate Programme for new graduates, to the CRA Academy Programme for individuals with previous levels of industry experience, ICON is working hard to ensure that the development of our staff, and the corresponding excellence of our staff, remains one of our top priorities.
You can put your science degree to good use
Not only is clinical research a fulfilling career, but it’s also a challenging one. Clinical research is responsible for ascertaining how safe and effective drugs, devices and diagnostic products are, and as such it’s a demanding role with plenty of responsibility riding on it. It’s also one where you can get stuck in from the beginning in a Clinical Research Associate position, which will give you a strong grounding in business, whilst also maintaining your links to science, and allowing you to push boundaries and develop or test new products.
This is why clinical research is a great career for bright and talented science graduates - particularly those who have a degree in science, bio-medicine, nursing or pharmacy.
There’s a lot of investment in the life sciences sector
Apart from ICON’s range of development programmes available, there’s also a lot of innovation currently taking place within clinical research. In 2019, more than 870,000 participants took part in clinical research studies supported by the National Institute for Health Research Network - a 16% increase on the year before. In addition, the NIHR has continued to support high-quality NHS research with record-breaking 2,194 new studies taking place and a strong focus on children's research studies and mental health research. With ever more investment going into the clinical research sector, now’s a great time to be getting involved in the opportunities and expanding variety of trials opening up within the industry.
It’s a varied role
There’s never a dull day when you’re working in clinical research. The sector is ideal if you like variety and you like to be challenged, because apart from setting up, monitoring and closing clinical studies, you’ll also be travelling to different research areas, writing reports, going into the office for meetings and getting to know hundreds of different people- whether as part of the trials or within different companies. Though it can be hard, as you’ll be working with and managing investigators as well as managing the priorities on studies, the job can also open doors into a whole variety of industries and careers, from Project Management to Clinical Operations. It’s what you make of it. Just one question remains - could you be ICON's next CRA?
Take the next step in your clinical research career
Whether you're recently graduated and ready to pursue a career in clinical research or are interested in exploring opportunities, we may have something for you. At ICON, we are investing in the future of Clinical Research Associates, ensuring anybody who joins this field is supported and has the chance to develop throughout their career.
Take a look at our jobs in clinical research or learn more about our culture today.
Related Content
Sign up for post alerts
ICON & You
The potential of together.
Careers that improve the lives of patients, our clients and each other. Are you ready to make a difference?
View jobsRelated jobs
Salary
Location
Czech Republic, Prague
Department
Clinical Monitoring
Location
Prague
Remote Working
Remote
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Clinical Monitoring
Job Type
Permanent
Description
Join the innovation wave – ICON plc seeks dynamic Clinical Research Associate(CRA) in the Czech RepublicICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation. From mol
Reference
JR118157
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Tereza SvobodovaAuthor
Tereza SvobodovaSalary
Location
Romania, Bucharest
Department
Clinical Monitoring
Real World Solutions
Location
Bucharest
Remote Working
Remote
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Clinical Monitoring
Job Type
Permanent
Description
At ICON, it’s our people that set us apart. Our diverse teams enable us to become a better partner to our customers and help us to fulfil our mission to advance and improve patients’ lives. Our ‘Own I
Reference
JR117494
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Denitsa KrastevaAuthor
Denitsa KrastevaSalary
Location
Czech Republic, Prague
Department
Clinical Monitoring
Location
Prague
Remote Working
Remote
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Clinical Monitoring
Job Type
Permanent
Description
Job Advert missing.
Reference
JR113944
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Tereza SvobodovaAuthor
Tereza SvobodovaSalary
Location
Bulgaria, Sofia
Department
Real World Solutions
Location
Sofia
Warsaw
Bucharest
Barcelona
Madrid
Bratislava
Remote Working
Office Based
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Clinical Trial Support
Job Type
Permanent
Description
ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. From molecule to medicine, we advance clinical research providing outsourced services to pharmaceutical, biotech
Reference
JR117463
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Denitsa KrastevaAuthor
Denitsa KrastevaRelated stories
Teaser label
Our PeopleContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
Exploring Lucy's Path: From Science to Communications Lucy's career journey is a testament to the power of adaptability and seizing opportunities as they arise. "I've been in Clinical Research si
Teaser label
Career ProgressionContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
Interviews can be nerve-wracking experiences, but with the right preparation, you can enter the room with confidence and increase your chances of success. Preparing for an interview is crucial a
Teaser label
Career ProgressionContent type
BlogsPublish date
03/27/2024
Summary
Clinical research plays a crucial role in advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care. At the heart of every successful clinical research study is a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC
Recently viewed jobs
A better career. A better world. A better you.
Our people are our greatest strength, are the core of our culture and the driving force behind our success. Throughout all levels of the company, our people have a drive to succeed and a passion that ensures what we do, we do well. We help you build exciting and rewarding careers, deliver results to help bring life-changing medicine and devices to market and maintain ICON’s success as an industry leader. See all locations Read more