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Junior Clinical Researcher STAR Programme

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Date	Product	Location	Price
13/04/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITH internships	Brussels	EUR 4725	Book
13/04/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITHOUT internships	Brussels	EUR 3125	Book
23/06/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITH internships	Brussels	EUR 4725	Book
23/06/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITHOUT internships	Brussels	EUR 3125	Book
22/09/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITH internships	Brussels	EUR 4725	Book
22/09/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITHOUT internships	Brussels	EUR 3125	Book
01/12/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITH internships	Amsterdam	EUR 4725	Book
01/12/2026	Junior Clinical Researcher STAR programme WITHOUT internships	Amsterdam	EUR 3125	Book
If you would like to have this course as an in-house session click here

About this course

How to increase your odds of finding a job in Clinical Research?

This STAR Programme will provide the capabilities you need to become a Junior Clinical Researcher. Most employers will require practical experience on the job before considering your application. At ECCRT, we realise that this situation limits the inflow of young, intelligent, and motivated people. To further develop your potential, this STAR Programme combines a series of training and practical internships during a period of one year.

Steps to enrol:

Fill out the application form Online
Submit your application form with your CV and motivation letter
Intake conversation with a mentor
If accepted, book the programme to ensure your seat
Payment of the full programme can be done the day before the starting date

Course Description

This Programme has been developed for you, to increase your chances of entering the area of clinical research. Like all ECCRT STAR Programmes, this one is composed of a number of individual courses, that are face-to-face or webinar trainings as well as an eLearning, to be followed within one year, which allows some flexibility when you take the course.This STAR Programme is different from the others because it includes practical internships throughout the year.

The latter will give you the possibility to acquire practical experience in the field and thus a kick-start of a brand-new career in clinical research! In order for you to gain practical experience, we have included internships in this STAR Programme, running over 1 full year in 3 different organisations:

Hospital for 2 months
Pharmaceutical companies for 6 months
Contract Research Organisation for 4 months

The internships can be taken in any location depending on ECCRT approval. Application is subject to approval (interview) and does not automatically result in enrolment.ECCRT STAR Programme – Success Stories

Juliette Deschepper

Before

Pharmacy graduate looking to break into clinical research

Now

Clinical Research Associate at IQVIA Belux

"During my internship at J&J, we were really part of the team and not just an intern. Before the end of the programme, I had job offers from both IQVIA and ICON — and I chose to start as a CRA I at IQVIA."

Amber De Craemer

Before

Fresh pharmacy grad — needed experience to get a job, but a job to get experience

Now

Clinical Research Associate at IQVIA | Site Manager for J&J Innovative Medicine

"The STAR Programme gives you the skills, experience, and support you need to launch your career with confidence."

Zhanar Mustapova

Before

10+ years in biomedical research — ready to pivot into clinical operations

Now

Study Start-Up Associate I at ICON plc, on behalf of Eli Lilly and Company

"The programme is intense, but it gives you exactly what you need to step into clinical research with a strong foundation."

Ready to write your own success story?

Apply for the STAR Programme →

Programme highlight

The courses included in the Junior Clinical Researcher STAR Programme are selected to provide the essential skills and knowledge to start your career as a clinical research professional. The programme is composed of the following trainings:

Introduction to Clinical Research (eLearning)

Focus on the elementary aspects of the clinical research field

Basics on Regulatory Requirements in Clinical Research (eLearning)

Overviewing the rules of clinical trials

Foundational ICH-Good Clinical Practice (GCP) E6 (R3) Training (eLearning)

A mandatory guideline for all clinical activities

Orienting your career in Clinical Research (0.5-day)

Distinguish the different positions in clinical research area

Clinical Research Training for Junior CRAs (2-day)

Become acquainted with common on the job activities of a CRA

Communication skills (1-day)

How to communicate as a professional

The 3 internship periods are each time in a different organisation: Starting in a hospital environment, then in a pharmaceutical company and ending with a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO). This allows the participant to get a complete overview of the clinical trial life cycle from the point of view of all stakeholders involved.

Learning objectives

There are 2 learning curves within this STAR Programme:

Through the trainings: these can be found in each course webpage
Through the internships, as mentioned below
- Hospital (2 months): How is clinical research conducted in real life? How does it affect a patient? What is the difference with the regular clinical practice
- Pharmaceutical Company (6 months): How are Medicines developed; Where does Clinical Research fit in the complete development. Why is clinical research done differently from normal clinical practice?
- Clinical Research Organisation (4 months): What activities need to be done in order to safeguard patients’ rights and well-being and at the same time make sure that quality of data obtained in a clinical study is guaranteed.

Who should attend

Students that completed their university degree in pharmacy, biology, biomedical, chemistry, bio-engineering, biomedical engineering, physiotherapists, molecular biologists, nursing and other related degrees.

Anyone hoping to begin their career as a Junior Clinical Researcher without previous experience or hoping to change their professional activities.

Anyone interested in boosting their professional potential in the area of clinical research.

Competencies

This series of courses cover 86% of competencies that are needed for a Junior Clinical Researcher as described in the ECCRT Competency Framework

Scientific Concepts & Research Design (1)
Ethical & Participants Safety Considerations (4)
Investigational Product Development and Regulation (3)
Clinical Studies Operations (GCPs or ISO 14155) (8)
Study and Site Management (2)
Data Management and Informatics (6)
Leadership and Professionalism (1)
Communication (1)
Teamwork (0)
Business acumen (0)

Be aware that attending one of ECCRT public course does not guarantee that the competency is acquired but only guarantees that the related knowledge has been trained.

Testimonials

Kent Victoire

I highly recommend this program to all healthcare students and researchers who are interested in translational research, specifically in efficiently translating scientific discoveries into clinical trials for drug development. ECCRT offers an ideal platform to start, build, and advance your career in this field. I would like to express my gratitude to the entire ECCRT team for the valuable learning experience provided by the ECCRT Clinical Researcher STAR program. It has been an enriching journey that has broadened my horizons and prepared me for success in the clinical research industry.
João Lampreia

The Clinical Researcher STAR programme from ECCRT provided me not only with a solid theoretical foundation through the classroom courses, but also with ample practical experience through the internships. These offered invaluable exposure to diverse roles within clinical research, giving me a well-rounded perspective on the various career paths available in the field. The most noteworthy aspect, however, was the consistent support and follow-up from the ECCRT trainers. I maintained regular contact with them for over a year, and they were instrumental not only in helping me secure internships—both in Belgium and in my home country—but also in supporting me during my subsequent job search. I would wholeheartedly recommend this programme to any professional aspiring to enter the world of clinical research and seeking a comprehensive, practice-oriented course.
Adwoa Taylor

I’m truly grateful to the entire ECCRT team for the opportunity to take part in the Junior Clinical Researcher STAR Programme. It was a valuable and enriching experience that has helped me build more confidence as I take steps forward in the clinical research field. I especially appreciated how practical and well-structured the content was.
Amber De Craemer

IQVIA for J&J
The STAR Programme offered the combination of a week training and the opportunity to gain practical experience in different companies over a longer period, while being closely followed up by a mentor at ECCRT. It was reassuring and motivating to be followed up so closely by someone who genuinely cared about my progress. After completing my second internship, I was offered a position as a Site Manager/CRA. The STAR Programme played a key role in this transition, equipping me with the confidence, practical knowledge, and hands-on experience I needed to grow from a student into a capable junior clinical researcher, ready to launch my career in clinical trials.
Juliette Deschepper

Clinical Research Associate I at IQVIA, for J&J
My first internship was, for two months, as a study coordinator at UZ Gent. Here I learned about the role of a study coordinator within clinical research. Then I did an internship at Johnson&Johnson as a site manager, where I learned how clinical studies are monitored at the different sites. During this internship, I also experienced how important monitoring studies is and that there is a lot involved. During both internships we were guided very well and got the perfect picture of the different roles inside clinical research. The STAR Programme is the ideal opportunity to delve deeper into clinical research and learn about major pharmaceutical companies. You will learn about clinical research from different perspectives, giving you the perfect picture of how everything works. The program is perfect for anyone who does not yet know 100% what they want to do next and have an interest in clinical studies. And who knows, maybe the opportunity is there to start as a study coordinator or CRA.