Introducing the CRC Project

Clinical research coordinators (CRCs), sometimes referred to as research assistants, conduct the day-to-day activities of a research study. In human subjects research, this often means performing chart reviews, calling patients to administer surveys, meeting them at clinic visits, or talking to them about different aspects of their treatment and recovery. CRCs like us are typically young, early 20s professionals, who recently graduated from college and are still trying to figure out their career aspirations. We may have previous research experience working in undergraduate professors' laboratories on organic molecules or with student research participants. Aside from volunteer experiences, we usually have not had professional interactions with seriously ill patients.

Despite the crucial role of CRCs, there is no standard for what the role should entail or what support infrastructure is needed to help CRCs thrive in their jobs while maintaining their well-being. Burnout and psychological distress have been studied extensively in diverse healthcare professionals. However, there is limited data on risks and protective factors for burnout and well-being in the CRC population especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted the mental health of young adults globally.

Through the CRC Project, we aim to characterize and describe the risks and protective factors that influence burnout and well-being for CRCs. We hope to enroll 7,500 CRCs in the US to participate in an online survey to help us best answer the question "who is the CRC?"