Workshop Series
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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 date for each seminar. Pre-registration is required and a work email must be used to register. Registration closes 24 hours prior to each workshop.
Monday, November 18th at 2:30-4:00pm (Registration has closed for this workshop.)
The Fundamentals of Recruiting Representative Populations in Research and Resources for Achieving Success
Joint Task Force Competencies: 1, 4, 5
Level*: Fundamental, Skilled, Advanced
Presenters:
- Tara Pittman, MA, CCRP
Recruitment Manager, MUSC - Shravani Shantanu Chobhe, BPharm, MS
Clinical Research Coordinator II, UF
More info:
This workshop will cover the importance of recruiting representative samples for a research study. It will introduce key concepts related to identifying a study population and motivating them to participate. First-hand experience from a research coordinator beginning to navigate recruitment will be discussed and resources for navigating recruitment at your own institution will be shared.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- Recognize the importance of recruiting representative samples for research studies and the need for early planning and budgeting a recruitment plan prior to protocol implementation to achieve this;
- Explore methods for locating and effectively communicating with potential study participants, including those from historically underrepresented groups;
- Gain insights from firsthand recruitment challenges and strategies, focusing on essential tips for new Clinical Research Coordinators to improve recruitment techniques;
- Explore institutional and national resources to support recruitment efforts, enhancing participants’ ability to navigate and improve recruitment processes in their own studies.
Monday, December 16th at 2:30-4:00pm
Overcoming Recruitment Challenges: Lightning Talks on Lessons Learned and Best Practices
Joint Task Force Competencies: 1, 4, 5
Level*: Fundamental, Skilled, Advanced
Presenters:
- Myrian Abdennadher, BU Medical Campus
- Alex Carey, UF
- Ed Clopton, MMC
- Caroline Foster, MUSC
- Lucy Lorin, BMC
- Katrina Madden, MUSC
More info:
Recruitment is sometimes the last element to think about when beginning a research study, but given its importance, it should be one of the first. It can be complex and frustrating, and poor enrollment could lead to early closure of the study or inability to answer the study questions. This workshop will feature Lightning Talks from our RPN peers who have led recruitment efforts in their research studies. We’ll learn about the research, the recruitment plan, what were challenges and how they were addressed. Lessons learned and best practices will be presented based on the experience of each Lightning Talk presenter.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- List recruitment challenges experienced by the presenters and consider elements that may relate to your research;
- Describe Lessons learned and Best practices and consider how these may relate to your research;
- Based on your own recruitment challenges, and as a group, develop Lessons learned and Best practices to share with the RPN community.
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!