Workshop Series

Jump Directly to Registrations

Offered monthly, the Research Professionals Network holds a series of peer-led, collaborative workshops. These workshops are focused on topics relevant to research professional staff and are based on the MRCT Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency Framework. Each workshop is led and presented by staff at the collaborating institutions and affiliates and are supported by the Leadership Team.

The workshop series is an inter-institutional effort between four academic institutions and their affiliates with a Leadership Team composed of individuals from each organization. 

• Boston University Medical Campus, Boston Medical Center, and affiliates: contact Mary-Tara Roth
• University of Florida and affiliates: contact Alexandria Carey
• University of Vermont, University of Vermont Health Network, and affiliates: contact Kimberly Luebbers
• Medical University of South Carolina and affiliates: contact Diana Lee-Chavarria

Affiliation with one of the collaborating institutions is required and is confirmed through the use of an institutional email on registration. Information about affiliation and to join your institution’s local RPN, please reach out to the listed institutional contact above. 

Research staff at Boston University Medical Campus, Boston Medical Center, or its network affiliates can join their local RPN by completing this form. Questions about the BUMC/BMC local network can be addressed to the CRRO. Research staff at any other institution should reach out to the listed institutional contact above. 

All previous workshop recordings and slides are available in our Workshop Library.

Suggestions for future workshops are always welcome and can be submitted by completing our Training and Education Recommendation Form.

Since the workshops began in 2017, several publications have been written or presented on the RPN Workshops. A full reference list with links as applicable are available in our Publications Library.

Contact Hours
All RPN Workshop attendees will receive nursing contact hours prorated based on confirmed actual attendance for each workshop. It is the attendee’s responsibility to ensure that their certification program accepts nursing contact hours. The RPN makes no guarantee of contact hours acceptance for any specific professional organization. All attendees will receive contact hours within 30 days of each workshop.

All questions about contact hours should be directed to the appropriate institutional contact listed above. 

Credit for this educational programming is provided by the University of Vermont. In support of improving patient care, The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Academic Year 2024-2025 Workshop Offerings – All Workshops are scheduled for 2:30-4:00pm
Check back often as information is continuously updated when topics and presenters are confirmed. Registration forms are available by clicking on the title for each seminar. Pre-registration is required and a work email must be used to register. Registration closes 24 hours prior to each workshop.

Tuesday, May 20th at 2:30-4:00pm
Clinical Trial Budgeting for Industry Trials 

Joint Task Force Competency Domains:

• 2 Ethical and Participant Safety Considerations
• 5 Study and Site Management

Level*: Fundamental, Skilled, Advanced

Presenters:

• David Veal, BA – Clinical Research Administration Manager (UF)
• Clare Martin, MS, MACRP, CCRP – Associate Director of the Clinical Research Hub (UF)
• Katrina Madden, MBA, CCRP – Program Coordinator II (MUSC)

More info:
This workshop will equip attendees with practical skills to develop, negotiate, and manage budgets for industry-sponsored clinical trials. Participants will explore essential budget components, uncover hidden costs, and practice negotiation strategies. The session also highlights tools and best practices for pre- and post-award budget management. Attendees will leave with actionable resources and a deeper understanding of how to optimize their trial budgeting process.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will:

1. Identify the essential components of a clinical trial budget, including start-up, per-patient, overhead, and screen failure costs, with a focus on industry-sponsored trials.
2. Apply step-by-step methods to develop a comprehensive trial budget by reviewing protocols, estimating visit costs, and accounting for hidden expenses.
3. Explain key principles of post-award budget management, including invoicing, milestone tracking, and the amendment process.

Monday, June 18th at 2:30-4:00pm
Modeling Professionalism and Interpersonal Skills as a Clinical Research Professional

Joint Task Force Competency Domains:

• 7 Leadership and Professionalism

Level*: Fundamental, Skilled, Advanced

Presenters:

• Diana Lee-Chavaria, MA – Assistant Director for Operations, Translational Science Education and Workforce Development – SCTR Institute, MUSC
• Alexandria Carey, PhD, MSN, MBA-HC, RN, CNE, CPEN, CEN – Assistant Director of Translational Workforce Development and Research Navigation, University of Florida
• Kimberly Luebbers, MSHS, RN, BSN – Assistant Dean for Clinical Research Administration at UVM Larner College of Medicine, Director of Office of Clinical Trials Research and Administrative Director, Clinical Research Center, UVM
• Mary-Tara Roth, RN, MSN, MPH – Director of Clinical Research Resources Department, Boston University Medical Campus/Boston Medical Center
• Stephanie Warth, BS – Human Subjects Research Education Manager, Boston University Medical Campus/Boston Medical Center

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will:

1. Describe and apply the principles and practices of modeling professionalism and mentorship in clinical research.
2. Identify ethical and professional conflicts associated with conduct of clinical studies and implement procedures for their prevention or management.
3. Identify and apply the professional guidelines and code of ethics that apply to the conduct of clinical research.

Workshop Level Definitions*
Fundamental: Considered a basic or introductory level. Workshop will include a focus on the basic elements of the topic but might briefly build on more in-depth skills. Individuals at this level are considered to be performing or understanding at an essential or fundamental level. Individuals may require some coaching or supervision for topic-associated task completion.

Skilled: Assumes the audience already has some fundamental knowledge of topic.  Workshop could include a brief review of the basic elements of the topic and build upon that review. Individuals at this level are considered to be performing or understanding roles and tasks independently with a moderate level of expertise of the topic. Individuals are able to independently navigate topic-associated resources and use tools well.

Advanced: Assumes the audience already has some intermediate knowledge of topic. Workshop could include a brief review of the basic elements of the topic but will focus on a more in-depth review of the topic. Individuals at this level are considered to be demonstrating advanced skills and knowledge with the ability to teach, coach, or supervise others. Individuals consistently apply topic-associated critical thinking and problem solving.

Questions about any of the above information? Contact us!