IAOCR Logo

Purpose and Impact

Our Purpose

Since founding in 2011, IAOCR has been dedicated to helping the global clinical research community work safely, responsibly, and effectively. Through the development of industry-specific and purpose-built quality standards for sites, organizations and workforce, we are here to help ensure robustness, consistency, and trust in clinical research around the world.  


As the first to lead a global initiative to develop core competency standards for clinical research professionals, IAOCR has helped shape how the field defines quality, capability, and professionalism. Today, we continue to build on that legacy by partnering across the global clinical research ecosystem, through the IAOCR Industry Leaders Think Tanks and Clinical Research Global Best Practices Boards, to develop best practice standards and facilitate collaborations that support quality, innovation and cross-border learning.


IAOCR provides the most globally accepted accreditations and certifications in the industry – the foundation blocks for the progression of clinical research.

IAOCR-Industry-Leaders_Think-Tank-2023

Our Vision

We believe that global best practice standards are essential to protecting the rights and wellbeing of clinical trial patients and to helping bring new, life-changing treatments to market more quickly and safely.


This belief inspires our work every day. We aim to ensure that every clinical trial, everywhere, is conducted with care, respect, and a deep commitment to the participants and the people whose lives depend on its outcomes.

Our Mission

Our mission is to reduce the risk to participants and the development of valuable new treatments by driving the adoption of global best practice standards for clinical research professionals, sites, and organizations throughout the clinical research ecosystem.

 

We support the people and organizations who make clinical research possible, helping them build the skills, practices, and confidence they need to deliver high-quality, participant-focused studies.

Our Values

Do the Right Thing - We lead with honesty, fairness, and compassion. Protecting participants and supporting ethical research guides every decision at IAOCR.


Commit to Quality - We’re dedicated to doing excellent work. Our standards are shaped by strong evidence, expert insight, and a genuine desire to elevate standards of clinical research.


Think Smarter - We look for better ways to solve problems. By staying curious and open to new ideas, we create standards and provide expert consulting and training that prepares the field for the challenges and opportunities ahead.


Enjoy the Experience - We enjoy the work we do and the opportunities it presents to make a meaningful difference. We relish the opportunity to continually learn from others – in the clinical research industry, and beyond. 


Share Success - We celebrate achievements with our team, clients and global best practice community. We’re proud to make a positive difference through our broad collaborations.

Our Impact

The Foundations of Clinical Research Global Best Practice Standards

IAOCR was the first organization to openly share core global competence standards for clinical research professionals. These standards form the foundation of every IAOCR professional accreditation and have become the building blocks upon which many of the world’s leading membership bodies and employers design their training programs and certifications.


What began as a commitment to advancing individual-level professional accreditation has grown in response to industry demand. Today, our expanded portfolio of certifications and accreditations also provides global quality standards at the organizational level, supporting clinical research sites, sponsors, CROs, and a wide range of companies operating across the clinical research ecosystem.

IAOCR Industry Leaders Think Tank 2025 incollaboration with Syneos Health

Raising the Bar for Clinical Research Worldwide

Grounded in rigour, transparency and evidence-based frameworks, IAOCR standards help improve safety, quality, and consistency across clinical trials, building trust among patients, professionals, and partners. By facilitating global networking and connections through IAOCR Industry Leaders Think Tanks and the IAOCR Global Best Practices Board, we enable collaborative working, and the sharing and further development of best practices. Learn more about our Think Tanks here and our Global Best Practices Board here.

Clinical Research Global Best Practices Board
Re-Cognition Health UK on their award of GCSA and WPQC Standards

Supporting Ethical, Responsible Research

We promote thoughtful, sustainable practices that respect participants, communities, and the broader healthcare system.


Helping Innovation Reach Patients Faster

Our work strengthens study operations, data quality, and professional development, ultimately supporting quicker and safer delivery of new treatments.


Protecting People Above All

Every standard we create is rooted in our commitment to participant wellbeing. We are also committed to elevating the status of clinical research as a profession, and to the recognition of organizations that voluntarily adopt best practice standards.

How and Why we Develop our Quality Standards

All of our quality standards, certifications and accreditations are built with the Industry, for the industry. We work collaboratively with key stakeholders and subject matter experts worldwide, through international taskforces, committees and global best practice boards to ensure that our standards are robust, evidence-based and have real-world relevance to the industry.


Every standard we publish brings us one step closer to safer clinical trials, more reliable research, and better outcomes for participants everywhere.


As the field evolves, IAOCR remains committed to creating tools and guidance that help the entire research community move forward together. If you are interested in collaborating with us on the development and evolution of industry standards, please get in touch.

What Our Clients Say About Us

"The training is extremely user friendly, easy to use and makes learning ICH-GCP so much more accessible and dare I say it…enjoyable."

CRunch Learner

Global CRO

"The training course was easy and clear to understand, and also easy to manage completing it with the daily presentations and tasks"

CRunch Learner

Global CRO

"Short sharp bursts of learning work well, plus the daily reminders were very useful"

CRunch Learner

Global CRO

"An easy way to follow and learn, which also gives you time to do it alongside your regular work. You don't have to sit for hours to complete it and it's great that you don't have to complete everything in the same day."

CRunch Learner

Clinical Research Site

"The daily tasks are very useful to help remember the concepts"

CRunch Learner

Clinical Research Site

"Having worked in clinical research for several years I decided to complete the IAOCR investigator accreditation to ensure that I could demonstrate formal recognition of an internationally accepted program that proves my competence and ability to work to best practice global standards. I found the online examination straight forward and the staff at IAOCR to be very responsive to my enquiries. Having now gained accreditation, I believe that Sponsors, CROS and other stakeholders within the clinical research space will have utmost confidence that they are collaborating with a globally recognised Clinical Research Investigator."

Dr Nischal Sahai

Clinical Research UniSC, Clinical Trials – Brisbane

Principal Medical Investigator

"Qualifying staff to work in clinical trials based on number of years’ experience provides false reassurance of quality and also fuels the industry’s talent crisis. When an individual gains IAOCR accreditation I know they have been robustly competence checked… …The IAOCR approach reduces risk to clinical research and provides a reliable and trusted pathway for new talent."

Sam Kerr

Merz Aesthetics

Chief Scientific Officer

"At Re:Cognition Health, we are always working on ways to improve quality and efficiency in our clinical trials, which means having a fantastic team. We implemented the IAOCR individual accreditations this year, as a way of externally assessing our staff team’s understanding and application of ICH GCP to their roles and duties, as well as assessing their wider understanding of clinical trials. This process has helped us recognize, company-wide our wonderful staff and supported their professional development. More importantly, it has helped us identify training gaps, so we can consider additional training need."

Vicky Eyre

Re:Cognition Health

UK Director of Clinical Trials

"Our BPQC certification journey began on Clinical Trials Day, this year, which was no coincidence. At Momentum Pharma we absolutely live and breathe the values promoted on Clinical Trials Day: the pursuit of knowledge, best practice, and unwavering commitment to patient well-being. Through these values, clinical investigators, research sites and clinical trial staff work tirelessly to research new medicine and bring hope to millions of patients and their families. This became our launch pad to drive us forward in the pursuit of our goal to achieve the highest recognition possible, IAOCR Business Process Quality Certification. We are thrilled to announce that all three areas reviewed, Governance, Business Strategy and Workforce Process Quality, have fully met the rigorous assessment criteria.” Melissa Melton, CEO and Co-Founder."

Melissa Melton

Momentum Pharma CRO

CEO and Co-Founder

"As a board member for the GCSA Global Advisory Board, it is possible to see the difference that this certification for the global quality standard for sites will make to the ongoing delivery of clinical trials in our ever-challenging environment. The benefits of the certification include transparency for both sites and sponsors, enabling reassurance and trust in the commitment to the delivery of the highest quality research and facilitation of true synergistic partnerships across the clinical trial landscape."

Fiona Shields

Study and Site Operations Country Head (Global Sponsor)

"The GCSA certification process offered more than just validation – it was a true opportunity for reflection and growth. It enabled us to celebrate areas of strength whilst also identifying opportunities to further refine and enhance our processes. The Certification reinforces the credibility and quality of our research operations through independent external review. Ultimately, it supports our continued commitment to delivering high-quality experiences for both patients and sponsors."

Sophie Mepham

ICON Group

Executive Manager for Research

"At AGA Clinical Trials, we are dedicated to demonstrating how we are a global center of excellence and the GCSA and IAOCR certifications were the logical next steps for us to achieve our mission of improving health and quality of life for our patients. The GCSA and subsequent IAOCR certification processes were in-depth and detailed, which allowed our team to reflect on our working processes beyond the core assessment. We’re delighted with the results because we are truly committed to working to the highest Industry standards."

Dr. Maria Graber

AGA Clinical Trials

CEO

"We take what we do very seriously, because of the impact our trials can have on our patients and their families. We wanted to ensure we were providing the best quality service to our patients, their families, the Sponsors and CRO clients, whilst also developing our team. Through the independent GCSA assessment, we have been able to demonstrate and embed best practices and processes."

Vicky Eyre

Re: Cognition Health (UK)

Director of UK Clinical Trials

"As a board member for the GCSA Global Advisory Board, it is possible to see the difference that this certification for the global quality standard for sites will make to the ongoing delivery of clinical trials in our ever-challenging environment. The benefits of the certification include transparency for both sites and sponsors, enabling reassurance and trust in the commitment to the delivery of the highest quality research and facilitation of true synergistic partnerships across the clinical trial landscape."

Fiona Shields

Global Sponsor

Study and Site Operations Country Head

"As a sponsor of dermatology trials, the GCSA certification standard gives me confidence that sites are working to a global quality standard and have been independently audited by IAOCR. When a site is GCSA Certified I have confidence that they will be a high-quality partner for our clinical trials."

Dr Sam Kerr

Global Sponsor

Chief Scientific Officer

"Workforce Quality Accreditation is one of the most rewarding programs I have ever worked on. It is not a check box exercise, it’s part of a continual improvement process—we learned a lot about ourselves: what we do well, what we can improve upon and how to fill gaps. IAOCR will not waiver from their standards—gaining the Clinical Operations Workforce Quality Accreditation really means something!"

Richard Wood

Syneos Health

Senior Director, Global Operations

"This Gold award allows us to market for commercial research, as it’s an indicator of our quality. It provides a layer of assurance for the Trust in terms of an external assessment and where we’re at in terms of our clinical research workforce"

Heather Rice

RDaSH

Director of Research & Innovation

"I would absolutely recommend IAOCR. They’ve really helped us over the last couple of years, re-organize the way we deliver training. I think the way they go about their business is very diligent, it’s quite strict, which I think you need when you’re setting up levels of competence for the industry. IAOCR have really helped us shape out thoughts around competence over the last four or five years."

Alistair MacDonald

Syneos Health

CEO

"I would absolutely recommend IAOCR. In all my dealings with them I’ve found them to be highly professional, extremely focused, and I’ve been delighted to be a member of the Executive Advisory Board and part of the Workforce Quality Accreditation program. I think [IAOCR accreditation] has the real potential to be adopted across the industry. The fact that there is an accreditation process where none existed before, we are looking at common competencies that work across academia, across CRO and pharma. This is something to be absolutely celebrated!"

Graham Belgrave

Cmed Clinical Services

Chief Operating Officer

"I think they’re really shaping the industry, they were the primary and first people speaking about competency….IAOCR are the frontier of how we should be evaluating clinical research professionals. It’s the wave of the future and I'd like to see the industry embrace it as a whole."

Elizabeth Edwards

(Formerly Biomat)

Independent Consultant

"The Project Management Course provided by IAOCR was a new and innovative way of providing this kind of training within this industry. My team contained people with varying experience and they all benefitted from it, even though some of them did not meet the accreditation criteria. The follow up work by IAOCR was excellent and really got my team thinking about the training and using it in real life examples which is rarely achieved with other training methods. The main selling point is the fact that participants have to demonstrate understanding, and that really opened my eyes to the ability of my staff within my team."

Lucy Thompson

RDCM Clinical Services Europe

Associate Director