About CCRPS
Clinical research training built for people who need their decisions to hold up
CCRPS exists because clinical research has a quiet reality that most training programs avoid stating clearly: compliance is not knowledge, it is behavior under scrutiny.
A person can complete basic clinical research courses, memorize definitions, and still become a risk inside a trial environment. Not because they are careless, but because the job is not about vocabulary. It is about execution, and execution is judged by what can be defended after the fact: documentation quality, safety escalation logic, protocol discipline, data integrity controls, deviation handling, delegation boundaries, and whether decisions remain coherent when timelines tighten and stakes rise.
That is the gap CCRPS was designed to close.
We do not exist to help people “feel” qualified. We exist to help clinical research professionals operate in a way that sponsors, monitors, investigators, auditors, and regulatory stakeholders can trust. The goal is not surface confidence. The goal is defensible competence that shows up in how you work, how you document, how you escalate risk, and how you protect trial integrity without freezing when the environment becomes complex.
The problem CCRPS was built to solve
Clinical research is full of responsible people entering the field through incomplete preparation.
Some are career changers aiming for a clinical research certification to break into the industry. Some are already CRCs or CRAs who realize that “basic GCP” and real trial work are not the same thing. Some are investigators trying to lead studies responsibly. Some are moving toward pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, project management, or sponsor-side roles and need their expertise to translate across environments.
What many of them share is this: they have information, but they do not have systems.
They know what an adverse event is, but they hesitate when determining what must be escalated, what must be documented, and what must be reconciled. They know what a protocol deviation is, but they cannot confidently explain how to prevent recurrence, categorize impact, and document corrective action. They understand “data integrity” as a phrase, but not as a repeatable set of controls that produce audit-grade records. They know informed consent matters, yet struggle to articulate what “valid consent” looks like operationally when circumstances are imperfect.
In clinical research, these gaps do not stay private. They become visible in:
monitoring visit findings
query overload
missing documentation trails
late safety escalations
inconsistent binder quality
unclear delegation and training records
avoidable deviations
inspection stress that causes errors instead of preventing them
CCRPS exists to reduce that exposure by training the skills that actually hold up.
CCRPS philosophy
The market often treats clinical research training like content consumption: watch lessons, pass a quiz, receive a certificate.
CCRPS treats training like professional readiness: learn the standards, learn the why, learn the decision logic, then practice applying it in workflows that resemble real trials.
That means we emphasize:
role clarity (so you do not drift into responsibilities you cannot defend)
documentation discipline (so your work survives review)
risk recognition (so you catch issues early)
escalation judgment (so you protect participants and the study)
compliance thinking (so you do not recite rules, you apply them)
This is what creates credibility in research environments. Not performance. Predictability.
A trusted clinical research professional is not necessarily louder or more confident. They are steadier. Their decisions make sense. Their records tell the truth cleanly. Their escalation posture is timely. Their work reduces risk instead of generating it.
That is what CCRPS trains.
What Makes CCRPS Different
Most training claims credibility by describing topics. CCRPS builds credibility by training what those topics are supposed to produce.
1) Training is structured around real clinical research roles
“Clinical research courses” are not the same as “role readiness.”
CCRPS is built around the actual professional tracks employers hire for:
Clinical Research Coordinator responsibilities at the site level
Clinical Research Associate responsibilities in monitoring and oversight
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) competence as operational judgment, not trivia
Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Affairs as governance systems
Clinical Research Project Management as regulated delivery leadership
Principal Investigator leadership with accountable oversight
Clinical Trials Assistant / Research Assistant foundations that prevent errors early
Medical Science Liaison / Medical Monitor communication, evidence discipline, and cross-functional credibility
Each certification exists to build the behaviors that matter in that role.
2) CCRPS trains for audit and inspection reality
Many people only discover what they don’t know when a real audit happens.
CCRPS treats audit readiness as a default posture: the ability to produce clear, traceable, consistent trial documentation without scrambling. Not because fear is the motivator, but because regulated work is evaluated backward. Auditors and inspectors do not care what you intended. They care what you can prove.
So we train professionals to build work products that withstand review:
documentation trails that make decisions understandable
binder logic that does not collapse under scrutiny
safety workflows that are timely and defensible
data integrity controls that reduce downstream damage
deviation handling that includes corrective thinking, not just reporting
3) CCRPS builds “explainable” competence
A defining marker of seniority in clinical research is not memorization. It is the ability to explain your decisions calmly.
When someone asks:
“Why did you classify this event this way?”
“How did you assess impact?”
“Why was this deviation handled with this CAPA?”
“How do you ensure data integrity at your site?”
“How do you maintain compliance across multiple stakeholders?”
A strong professional answers with logic, not defensiveness. CCRPS trains that logic.
4) The programs are built for real adult learners
Many learners are balancing jobs, school, and high cognitive load. CCRPS is designed to be 100% online and self-paced while still being serious, structured, and practical.
The goal is not to overwhelm. The goal is to create repeatable competence.
Our Team
For our most up-to-date team members or to reach any specific contact on our team, email advising@ccrps.org to be directed. Our team is constantly growing to support our 30k+ member community.
Executive Director
Dr Kamaljit K Tiwana MBBS, MD, Sr. CRA
A seasoned expert with over 30 years in clinical research and education. As Executive Director, she developed the original CRA program and collaborated with industry experts to expand prog advanced training programs, mentors professionals, and enhances clinical research education through innovative curricula.
President & Principal Advisor
Dr. Syed Rizvi, MD/PhD
A world-recognized physician-scientist and educator. Leads strategic initiatives advancing clinical research education, accreditation, and professional development to keep CCRPS at the forefront of innovation.
Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Roxanne Kemp, PhD
A visionary in higher education who has founded multiple entities. With deep expertise in academic administration, accreditation, and compliance, she drives innovation and strategic growth in online learning.
Director of Global Partnerships & Career Ecosystems
Jessica Anghelescu
A career placement and internship partner executive with expertise in career and workforce strategic operations. Enhances CCRPS training programs to ensure professionals gain critical skills with direct mapping to career and internship pipelines..
Director of Operations
Nader Hegazi
Oversees clinical training operations, strategic planning, and compliance. Manages budgets, teams, and workflows to align with industry regulations and organizational goals.
E-Learning Manager
Raneem Mamdouh
Oversees quality assurance, team efficiency, and customer support. Ensures agents are trained to handle inquiries and maintain high service standards, optimizing processes for student growth and success.
Student Success
Utsav Singh
Ensures learners receive academic support, guidance, and resources. Monitors engagement, assists with inquiries, and helps students navigate their clinical research training effectively.
Advisory Board & Featured Instructors
Advisory Board Member
Robert Decker
A clinical research consultant with over 20 years of experience in clinical trial and project management. Emphasizes patient empathy, strong team chemistry, and accountability in all stages of research.
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Nestor Garcia
Over 20 years in basic and clinical research with specialization in Internal Medicine. Contributions in Nephrology, Cardiovascular disease, and Cancer research guide medical initiatives across therapeutic areas.
Senior Instructor for Clinical Research Coordinator
Morgan Hess-Holtz & Breanna Thorne
Leverages expertise in public health, epidemiology, and clinical research operations to provide industry-aligned training, ensuring professionals gain the regulatory knowledge needed to excel.
Senior Instructor for Clinical Research Associate Course
Dr. Juan Albano, MD & Morgan Hess-Holtz
Expertise in clinical trial management, drug development, and medical affairs. With a background in Family Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Molecular Biology, he advances training and best practices in clinical oversight.
Senior Instructor for Clinical Research Assistant Course
Dr. Anas Alubaidi, MBChB, MSc, PgDip, PgCert
An experienced clinical research executive with expertise in global trial management and regulatory compliance. Enhances training programs, ensuring professionals gain the critical skills to navigate complex trials.
Senior Instructor for ICH GCP Course
Dr. Cliff Dominy, PhD & Dr. Anas Alubaidi, MBChB, MSc, PgDip, PgCert
A medical writer, science communicator, and educator specializing in clinical research regulations and compliance. Translates complex research into accessible GCP (E6) training for professionals.
Senior Instructor for Principal Investigator Course
Dr. Micheal Martella, MD & Dr. Anas Alubaidi, MBChB, MSc, PgDip, PgCert
A drug safety physician and clinical researcher with over a decade in pharmacovigilance and regulatory compliance. Trains professionals in study protocols, informed consent, and drug safety monitoring.
Senior Instructor for Medical Monitor / MSL Course
Dr. Anas Alubaidi, MBChB, MSc, PgDip, PgCert
A licensed general practitioner and clinical research professional with expertise in medical monitoring, public health, and healthcare management. Provides key training in clinical trial oversight and regulatory compliance.
Senior Instructor for Project Manager Course
Inci Gunes, MSc, ACRPMC
A Certified Advanced Clinical Research Project Manager with over 11 years of experience in clinical trials, biotechnology, and regulatory compliance. Guides professionals in project planning, resource management, and trial execution.
Senior Instructor for Pharmacovigilance Course
Vinil John & Shabnam Patel
A Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) with extensive expertise in pharmacovigilance, drug safety, and regulatory compliance. Specializes in case processing, signal detection, and post-market safety monitoring.
CCRPS Certifications
CCRPS includes eight certifications because clinical research is not one job. It is a network of role-specific responsibilities that require different kinds of judgment.
What follows is not marketing copy. It is a clear map of what each pathway is built to produce.
1) Advanced Clinical Research Coordinator Training & Certification (ACRCC)
For people targeting “clinical research coordinator certification” and site-level readiness
A Clinical Research Coordinator is the operational spine of the site. When a trial runs smoothly at the site level, it is usually because the CRC is building order where complexity could have turned into error.
ACRCC is designed to create coordinators who can be trusted with real trial execution, including:
protocol adherence without rigidity
visit workflow control that prevents missing data
documentation quality that reduces monitoring friction
source clarity that supports data integrity
participant protection through consistent process
investigator support without inappropriate delegation creep
What ACRCC trains, in practical terms, is how to operate when you are responsible for the daily mechanics of research.
A strong CRC is not just organized. They are compliance-aware. They understand what must be traceable, what must be reconciled, and what cannot be left ambiguous.
ACRCC is built for learners who want to stop being “helpful” and start being audit-grade dependable.
2) Advanced Clinical Research Associate Training & Certification (ACRAC)
For people targeting “clinical research associate certification” and CRA monitoring competency
A CRA is not paid for checking boxes. A CRA is paid for protecting trial quality across sites by recognizing risk early, documenting oversight cleanly, and communicating issues with clarity.
Many aspiring CRAs know the vocabulary but struggle with the professional posture:
How do you document findings so they are actionable and defensible?
How do you differentiate a minor issue from a systemic risk pattern?
How do you escalate without creating panic or political conflict?
How do you hold sites accountable without damaging the relationship?
How do you build monitoring output that supports sponsor decisions?
ACRAC is designed to produce CRAs who understand the difference between “monitoring tasks” and monitoring judgment.
This program is built for learners who want to become the kind of CRA sponsors trust, sites respect, and study teams rely on for risk visibility.
3) Advanced Good Clinical Practice Training & Certification (AGCPC)
For people targeting “good clinical practice certification” and ICH-GCP E6(R3) readiness
Basic GCP training teaches rules. AGCPC trains regulatory reasoning.
When people say they are “GCP trained,” the question is: can they apply GCP standards when conditions are imperfect? Can they interpret requirements in real workflows? Can they explain how their decisions protect participants and protect data integrity?
AGCPC is built around the reality that modern trials require:
GCP competence that aligns with current expectations
decision logic that is defensible in audit/inspection environments
clarity on responsibilities across sponsor, CRO, IRB/IEC, and investigator obligations
clean handling of deviations, documentation, and data integrity controls
safety and ethics as operational behavior, not abstract values
This is the certification for professionals who want to stop treating GCP as a checklist and start treating it as a professional standard they can actually live inside.
4) Advanced Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Affairs Training & Certification (APVASC)
For people targeting “pharmacovigilance certification” and “regulatory affairs certification” pathways
Pharmacovigilance is not just “safety reporting.” Regulatory affairs is not just “submissions.” In modern research environments, both operate as governance systems that determine whether an organization is acting responsibly and whether risk is being managed consistently.
APVASC is designed for professionals who want to work in safety, PV operations, regulatory coordination, or compliance-adjacent roles where precision matters because the consequences of sloppy thinking are not negotiable.
This pathway is built to train:
how safety concepts translate into real workflows
how regulated environments think about risk and responsibility
how compliance is maintained across teams and documentation systems
how to communicate safety and regulatory information clearly and defensibly
APVASC exists because many people enter these tracks with surface-level understanding and learn the rest through painful mistakes. This program is built to reduce that.
5) Advanced Clinical Research Project Manager Training & Certification (ACPMC)
For people targeting “clinical trials project management” and delivery leadership
Clinical research project management is not general project management.
The core constraint is not time. It is regulated execution across multiple stakeholders with variable site performance, evolving protocol realities, and sponsor expectations that require clean escalation and governance.
ACPMC trains professionals to manage:
cross-functional delivery without losing compliance posture
stakeholder complexity without communication collapse
risk visibility as a system, not a reaction
documentation and decision trails that support trial governance
operational dependencies that affect timelines and quality
This pathway is for people moving into Clinical Trial Manager, Project Manager, or Trial Director trajectories and need competence that holds up in sponsor and CRO environments.
6) Advanced Principal Investigator Training & Certification (ARIPC)
For people targeting “principal investigator certification” and accountable study leadership
Principal investigators carry responsibility that is often misunderstood.
The PI is accountable for:
oversight quality
delegation appropriateness
training documentation logic
safety posture
compliance integrity at the site level
ARIPC is designed to help PIs and clinical research physicians operate with stable, defensible study leadership.
This program exists because many PIs are brilliant clinicians yet were never trained to lead research in a way that stays clean under regulatory scrutiny. That gap can create risk even when intentions are good.
ARIPC focuses on building investigator leadership that is organized, compliant, and defensible, not reactive.
7) Advanced Clinical Trials Assistant Training & Certification (ACTAC)
For people targeting “clinical trials assistant training” and strong research operations foundations
Clinical trials assistants and research assistants often become the first line of operational quality. When foundational workflows are sloppy, everything downstream becomes harder: coordinators struggle, monitors find issues, and teams lose confidence.
ACTAC is built to train:
strong documentation habits early
clarity on trial operations workflows
disciplined handling of records and coordination tasks
accuracy-first execution that prevents avoidable findings
This is not “basic admin work.” In regulated environments, foundational roles either reduce risk or amplify it. ACTAC is built to create assistants who reduce risk.
8) Advanced Medical Science Liaison and Medical Monitor Training & Certification (AMSLC)
For people targeting “medical science liaison training” and medical monitor trajectory competence
MSL and Medical Monitor paths require a specific kind of credibility: you are often the person translating science into decisions, communicating across stakeholders, and maintaining evidence discipline in environments where words carry weight.
AMSLC is built for professionals who need to develop:
high-clarity scientific communication
structured interpretation and evidence discipline
cross-functional trust-building
professional posture in sponsor-facing environments
This program is designed for people who want to operate in roles where credibility is not optional and communication is evaluated continuously.
How to choose the right CCRPS pathway
If you are deciding between multiple options, use responsibility as your filter.
If you want site-level execution and CRC readiness: ACRCC
If you want monitoring and CRA readiness: ACRAC
If you need modern GCP competence and E6(R3) logic: AGCPC
If you want PV and regulatory career pathways: APVASC
If you want clinical trial project delivery leadership: ACPMC
If you are a PI or moving into investigator leadership: ARIPC
If you want strong trial operations foundations: ACTAC
If you want MSL or Medical Monitor trajectory: AMSLC
The wrong way to choose is by chasing titles. The right way is choosing the responsibility you want to be trusted with.
CCRPS governance and institutional standards
People rarely say it directly, but serious professionals always evaluate training organizations the same way:
Who is responsible?
Who can be contacted?
Are standards named clearly or implied vaguely?
Is learning structured like professional education or like content marketing?
Does the program train defensible decisions or just participation?
CCRPS is designed to behave like a serious training authority. Our advising and support routes exist because professional education must be reachable and accountable. If you are training for regulated work, you should not be left guessing who is responsible for guidance.
For advising, pathway guidance, and program fit, CCRPS learners can contact advising@ccrps.org.
FAQ: CCRPS Clinical Research Certifications
1) What is the difference between a clinical research certification and basic GCP training?
Basic GCP training typically provides a broad introduction to ethical principles and high-level compliance expectations. A true clinical research certification is role-oriented and trains what you must do in the real world: documentation discipline, deviation handling, safety escalation logic, and decision-making under scrutiny. That difference matters because trials are evaluated backward. Monitors, auditors, and sponsors do not judge you by what you watched in a module. They judge you by what your records show, what your decisions demonstrate, and whether your actions reduce risk. CCRPS certifications are structured to build applied competence that maps to actual responsibilities across CRC, CRA, PV, PI, project management, and MSL or Medical Monitor tracks.
2) Which CCRPS certification is best for breaking into clinical research with no experience?
If your goal is to enter clinical research from scratch, you want a pathway that builds operational foundations and makes you useful in real workflows. For most beginners, that starts with ACTAC if you want an assistant or trial operations entry point, or ACRCC if you want to enter directly as a coordinator track and can commit to stronger site-level responsibility training. The right choice depends on your risk tolerance and readiness. Entry roles require accuracy and documentation discipline more than authority. CCRPS pathways are built to give you structured readiness rather than vague exposure, so you can speak clearly in interviews and contribute without creating avoidable quality issues.
3) How do I choose between ACRCC and ACRAC?
Choose based on where you want to operate in the trial ecosystem. ACRCC is built for site execution: patient visits, source documentation, site files, protocol adherence, coordinator workflows, and investigator support. ACRAC is built for oversight: monitoring logic, risk recognition, site evaluation, documentation of findings, escalation posture, and sponsor communication. The CRC’s work is judged by accuracy and completeness at the site. The CRA’s work is judged by whether they protect the study by identifying patterns early and documenting oversight in a defensible way. If you want to run the daily mechanics of trials, choose ACRCC. If you want to monitor and oversee sites, choose ACRAC.
4) What does “advanced” actually mean in CCRPS certifications?
“Advanced” means the training goes beyond vocabulary into decision logic and defensible execution. In clinical research, advanced competence is not about knowing more terms. It is about handling complexity without breaking compliance posture. That includes consistent documentation habits, accurate safety thinking, deviation categorization and response clarity, audit-grade recordkeeping, and role boundary discipline. Advanced training also means you can explain your choices calmly, which is how credibility is built under review. CCRPS programs are designed so learners do not just pass content. They build stable patterns of work that hold up when pressure increases.
5) Is AGCPC only for beginners, or is it for experienced professionals too?
AGCPC is valuable for both, but for different reasons. Beginners use AGCPC to form correct compliance thinking early so they do not develop bad habits that later become audit exposure. Experienced professionals use it to align their day-to-day behavior with current expectations and to strengthen their ability to explain decisions under scrutiny. Many people “have GCP training” yet still struggle when asked to walk through deviation handling, data integrity controls, and investigator responsibility logic. AGCPC is built to reduce that gap by treating GCP as operational judgment, not a checkbox.
6) What roles does APVASC prepare you for?
APVASC supports people moving into pharmacovigilance certification and regulatory aligned roles where safety, reporting discipline, and governance thinking matter. Depending on your background, that can include PV operations support, safety case processing foundations, regulatory coordination and documentation discipline, and compliance-adjacent operational roles. The core value is that APVASC trains you to think in systems: how safety information becomes action, how regulated environments interpret risk, and how documentation discipline protects decisions. That mindset is what employers trust because it reduces downstream errors and strengthens audit posture.
7) Who should take ACPMC instead of a generic project management course?
Anyone managing clinical trial delivery should avoid generic project management training as their primary preparation because the constraints are different. Clinical trial project managers operate inside regulated execution where documentation, escalation, and compliance posture shape what “success” even means. ACPMC is designed for clinical trial project management reality: cross-functional stakeholder complexity, site variability, vendor dependencies, risk visibility, and trial governance. If your work touches sponsor expectations, CRO delivery, or trial leadership responsibility, ACPMC is the appropriate pathway because it trains how clinical research delivery actually functions.
8) What makes CCRPS certificates credible to employers compared to random online courses?
Credibility in clinical research is not about a badge. It is about whether the training produces work behaviors employers can trust. CCRPS certifications are built around role responsibilities, compliance posture, documentation discipline, and defensible decision-making. Employers care about whether you can operate without generating quality problems, whether your documentation is clean, whether you understand escalation logic, and whether your work reduces risk. CCRPS pathways are designed around those realities rather than around generic topic coverage. The result is not performative confidence. It is stable operational competence that shows up in how you communicate, document, and execute inside real trial environments.