PACE: live the learning experience

Vision & Mission

Our vision

Build a conducive clinical research ecosystem for better health.

Our mission

Bridge the gap between learning and working.

Our innovative 9-month professional programme combines an intensive and comprehensive 3-month online programme, with high standard classroom modules and hands-on practice followed by a mandatory 6-month internship in an organisation that manages clinical trials (ex.: Contract Research Organisation (CRO), pharma, biotech, medical device or diagnostic company, clinical research unit in a university, or a hospital, a clinical research centre to name but a few).

PACE is a transformative and high-impact learning experience aimed at bridging the gap between learning and working by enabling our students to achieve their full potential and develop their career in the clinical research industry. Our programme is designed to equip our learners with high academic knowledge and real-world experience, but beyond that, we make them job-ready for the global clinical research world and enable them to be the best at what they do.

Programme

High standards curriculum

Our curriculum has been developed with the input from the different stakeholders of the sector such as industry experts, subject matter experts and employers.

The content of our courses is regularly updated to reflect the most accurate environment as regulations and guidelines evolve sometimes in the clinical research sector.

In brief, the programme encompasses:

• A 3-month learning phase that is a real enrichment in terms of knowledge and experience sharing
• Live online classes during which the students have the possibility to interact with the teachers
• International students, instructors and experts to provide diverse insights and broaden the learners’ educational environment
• Short and intensive training to be job-ready once the programme is finished
• Lectures and meetings with distinguished experts in clinical research who will bring a real-world feel to the learning
• Case studies, workshops, role plays, real-life scenarios and simulations that give hints on how to handle situations that can occur in a clinical research professional’s life
• A 6-month internship
• Liaisons with potential employers during the programme to have a more accurate vision of what employers look for and improve our learners’ chances of getting a job faster
• Support always at hand with a designated mentor for each learner
• English speaking programme when needed

By the end of the programme, learners will:

• Have a comprehensive overview of the different steps of the drug/device/vaccine development process
• Be fully conversant with the essential medical terminology and understanding of the main body systems and their related conditions
• Have received foundation knowledge of biostatistics and data analysis
• Understand fundamental concepts around the conduct of clinical studies, roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, required study documents and their best practices
• Have acquired a comprehensive knowledge of ICH Good Clinical Practice, regulatory requirements of several continents and countries such as Europe, the USA, the UK, and Africa
• Have applied best practices during workshops that enable them to test their understanding and ability to interpret and apply concepts in situations they are likely to encounter on the job
• Have acquired foundational soft and technical skills to be able to collaborate successfully with colleagues in the effective conduct of high quality clinical research, and apply them to a broad spectrum of settings
• Have gained real-life insights into clinical research professionals’ roles and have broken into a highly selective industry.

Assessments & Diploma

At the end of each part of the course, a rigorous effective learner and competency assessment is undertaken to confirm understanding of essential knowledge and skills. 

A diploma is delivered to the learners upon successful assessment of both components of the programme, meaning the 3-month classroom and the 6-month internship to certify their achievement of the professional programme.

All training materials will remain accessible to the learners up to 12 months after the end of the programme on our exclusive and password protected learning management system (LMS).

About apprenticeship

Clinical research professionals or health professionals who work in organisations which sponsor/manage/conduct clinical trials are able to apprentice on the PACE programme. The apprentices will be required to attend their PACE course one week per month, for twelve consecutive months on a full-time basis.

The programme provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects, including the different steps involved in drug/device/vaccine development, essential medical terminology, understanding of main body systems and related conditions, foundations of biostatistics and data analysis, concepts of conducting clinical studies and stakeholder roles, best practices for study documents, knowledge of ICH Good Clinical Practice and global regulatory requirements, and foundational soft and technical skills for effective collaboration among apprentices and their colleagues.

We have tailored these modules based on the practical experience apprentices have already acquired while working in the clinical research sector. This adaptation ensures that the courses are both practical and relevant for all apprentices. Our goal is to enhance the level of professionalism and expertise of research site staff by aiding them in becoming more efficient and compliant in their field. By incorporating tasks typically assigned to site staff, apprentice learners can immediately apply their acquired knowledge. Given that apprentices are already members of a clinical research team, the 6-month internship has been removed from this programme, with a full focus placed on the courses in the curriculum.