Released: January 9, 2025
Developed by: Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF), Maroof International Hospital, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Munaza Jamil of McMaster University
Proceedings from: Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency Biannual Global Meeting on December 10, 2025, a virtual meeting.
The Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF), anchored at the MRCT Center, develops and disseminates standards and practices for the global clinical research workforce. By fostering a cohesive and collaborative approach, the JTF ensures that professionals have the competencies to conduct clinical trials ethically and effectively.
Our international team of investigators, educators, and clinical research professionals has developed and/or utilizes a framework that defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for conducting safe, ethical, and high-quality clinical research.
The meeting featured five presentations demonstrating real-world implementation of the JTF Framework:
Note: The recording includes timestamps for each of the five presentations.
Released in: October 2025
Designed and developed by: The MRCT Center, an International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) training partner
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is an international, ethical, scientific, and quality standard for the conduct of trials that involve human participants. The MRCT Center developed and designed this course in collaboration with the ICH E6(R3) Expert Working Group (EWG). This course consists of 5 modules introducing and explaining the key concepts of the E6(R3) guideline. This training is intended for anyone involved in the conduct of an interventional clinical trial. The course links will take the learner to the ICH Training Library website. Courses are free for all registrants.
Currently available is:
Module 1: Introduction and Foundational Concepts, published in October 2025
Over the next few months, the following modules will be released as they become available:
Module 2: Responsibilities and Oversight
Module 3: Data Governance
Module 4: Informed Consent, published in January 2025
Module 5: Essential Records
Proceedings from: Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency Biannual Global Meeting on June 2, 2025
Held at: Virtual Meeting
Key Topics:
TRACE (Trial Regulatory and Clinical Ethics Optimization) is a dynamic initiative to strengthen and streamline clinical trial regulatory and ethics systems across Africa. Its mission is to remove barriers to clinical research by streamlining review processes, reducing duplication, and establishing clear, efficient timelines.
Despite growing interest in African clinical research, sponsors still encounter unclear submission pathways, manual or outdated systems, redundant reviews, and unpredictable timelines, all barriers TRACE aims to eliminate.
The MRCT Center, as a member of TRACE’s Core Project Team and lead of the Capacity Building & Accreditation and Funding Models sub-teams, is working alongside the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) and Garnet Partners, with funding support from the Gates Foundation, to design and implement sustainable regulatory and ethics solutions.
In close collaboration with local stakeholders, TRACE co-develops tools, templates, and resources tailored to the needs of African ethics committees. It promotes inter-institutional coordination and cooperation.
By bringing together national ethics committees (NECs), institutional review boards (IRBs), regulatory agencies, and sponsors, TRACE fosters a transparent, efficient, and sustainable environment for clinical research oversight. The initiative’s goal is to position Africa as a leading hub for clinical research, with pilot efforts currently underway in Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.
As part of its role, the MRCT Center leads national system assessments using the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool for Ethics Committees, provides targeted training and capacity-building programs for NECs, and supports the implementation of IRB reliance strategies. It is also collaborating with stakeholders to design a model fee structure and contributing to long-term financial sustainability and regulatory alignment.
To further support training, the MRCT Center offers an online, on-demand training course on Ethics and Review of Interventional Clinical Research available free on the WHO Academy platform. A follow-up course, Ethics and Review of Interventional Clinical Research II, is currently in development and expected in fall 2025.
Ultimately, TRACE is committed to establishing a sustainable, efficient, and globally dependable landscape for clinical research across Africa by tackling persistent challenges such as manual workflows, redundant reviews, and inconsistent timelines.
July 16, 2025
October 22, 2024
The Convergence Project is pleased to invite you to an upcoming virtual event hosted by the MRCT Center, focused on workforce development strategies to support a more dynamic and competitive clinical research workforce.
This meeting will bring together community leaders, policymakers, and researchers to discuss how to create and support pathways into the clinical trial workforce (e.g., part-time degree programs, community colleges, fellowships). Key topics will include workforce development, targeted recruitment, and actionable steps to drive systemic improvements. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with panelists leading programs in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, and other states across the country.
We hope you can join us for this important conversation. We look forward to your participation!
Proceedings from: Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency Biannual Global Meeting on December 10, 2024
Held at: Virtual Meeting
Key Topics:
Published on: October 29, 2024
Developed by: MRCT Center, in collaboration with ICH, the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use.
The MRCT Center is pleased to announce the availability of an introductory video for the ICH E8(R1) Guideline – General Considerations for Clinical Studies. Posted on the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) website, the MRCT Center developed this introductory video to provide an overview of the general principles in clinical research and quality by design.
The MRCT Center is currently developing a series of in-depth training modules to complement the video.
Published on: October 22, 2024
Developed by: MRCT Center, in collaboration with the World Health Organization
Description: This course was developed in partnership with the World Health Organization and aims to meet the growing demand for a training on the scientific and ethical aspects of interventional clinical trials. This course is tailored to research ethics committee members, chairs, administrative staff, and others who review clinical trial protocols. It will also benefit regulators, investigators, study staff, care providers, and others involved in clinical trials. This course is available free of charge worldwide.
