Job Description of a Clinical Research Associate
Clinical research is conducted in order to come up with treatments and cures for harmful diseases and genetic disorders. In order to find cures for these problems, relatively large research teams are sometimes assembled. Working on these research teams are often clinical research associates, who are highly educated specialists working under the head researcher.
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Function
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The head researcher sometimes has a clinical research associate working alongside her. This associate acts as the head clinical researcher when this senior member is not present. Clinical research associate manage day-to-day operations related to a particular research project. The clinical research associate makes sure that all appropriate safety precautions are being taken, according to Biohealthmatics. These clinical research associates are responsible for recording the results of the research experiments. Whenever there are complaints filed by regulatory agencies, the clinical research associate plays a role in rectifying these complaints.
Qualifications
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A bachelor's degree in a life science-related discipline is usually needed in order to be a research associate. Some clinical research associates have a master's degree or even a doctorate. Clinical research associates must be knowledgeable about both biology and chemistry. Experience in data management and collection is also often needed, according to Biohealthmatics. Those who have experience with experimental designs, data analysis, biotech and also the computer programs used by the researchers will be in more demand. The clinical research associate also needs experience with clinical safety precautions. Some clinical research associates can get credentialed by National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
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Conditions
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Medical scientists, such as clinical research associates, spend most of their time in laboratories, though some work in hospital settings. These scientists can mostly avoid any exposure to harmful chemicals and infectious agents, though there is occasionally a risk. Risks are handled by following appropriate safety precautions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical research associates generally work 40 hours a week, though some experiments require long-term monitoring which forces some scientists to work at night.
Outlook
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the need for clinical research associates is expected to grow by 40 percent between 2008 and 2018. Clinical research has been growing rapidly for some time and federal funding for medical treatments were increased dramatically in the early 2000s. Also, researchers are less likely to be out of work because of the fact that many research projects are long-term.
Earnings
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The median earnings for medical scientists in 2008 were $72,590, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest 10 percent earned more than $134,770, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,870.
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References
- Photo Credit laboratory equipment image by Canakris from Fotolia.com
