While academic partnerships are nothing new in the CRO world, lately companies have been pairing up with schools to create degree programs designed to identify the next crop of clinical research talent, and now Icon ($ICLR) and ClinTec have added their names to that list.
Ireland's Icon has teamed up with the University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Science to kick off a graduate certificate in clinical research, a 12-week program that pairs lab instruction with an internship that will expose students to clinical trial management.
Separately, ClinTec has partnered with Edinburgh Napier University to launch a three-year master's program in international clinical research and technology, in which experts from the school and CRO will teach students around the world through an online platform.
While educational partnerships provide some real-world experience for students trying to get into clinical research, they also allow CROs to develop much-needed talent and ease recruitment, Icon CEO Ciaran Murray said. And for ClinTec, which is in the process of expanding its reach around the world, an online program will help it cast a wide net for the top researchers of the future, CEO Rabinder Buttar said.
"We have always been an advocate of employing talented, bright and resourceful graduates from all across the globe, so this course is something to be extremely proud of," Buttar said in a statement. "... It is my hope that this course will give candidates the tools and knowledge they require in order to be successful after graduation."
Parexel ($PRXL) has led the charge among CROs getting into the education business, partnering with Massachusetts' Salem State University to offer a clinical research certificate and teaming with China's Shenyang Pharmaceutical University to train graduates on clinical trial conduct, data management and pharmacovigilance.
- read Icon's release
- check out ClinTec's announcement