Breakout Session II
Beyond The Contract: Building Trust Between Sites, Sponsors & CROs
Clinical research runs on relationships — yet too often those relationships are defined by contract terms rather than genuine collaboration. Hear candid perspectives from sites, sponsors, and CROs as we examine what trust looks like in practice: consistent feedback loops, pipeline transparency, fair communication, and accountability when things go wrong. Learn how to advocate for changes that move partnerships from transactional to transformational with examples of how some partners have successfully shifted the dynamic already.
Know Your Worth: Budgets, Payments & FMV
Budgeting, contracting, and payments remain among the most requested — and most underserved — topics in site education. This session addresses the full financial arc: building and defending a budget justification, negotiating with sponsors and CROs, fair market value (FMV) conversations, and managing payment timelines with holdbacks and delays. EU and UK context will be explored directly, including required costs for sites adopting eSource and AI, using master clinical trial agreements to accelerate start-up, and tactics experienced negotiators use.
Reaching More Patients Across Europe
Recruiting the right patients — and reaching populations historically excluded from clinical research — is more than just a protocol requirement. Hear what strategies are working, from network-based approaches, direct-to-patient channels, international recruitment collaboration, pre-screening technologies, and community-based research models. European-specific challenges around patient screening tools and cross-country data limitations will be addressed directly. Learn how to bridge the gap between patient database availability and actual enrolment and what it takes to convert interest into participation across diverse populations.
Research Roundtable: Inclusive By Design
Reaching the full spectrum of patients that clinical trials are meant to serve requires more than good intentions; it demands intentional strategy, supported infrastructure, and honest reflection on what is and isn’t working. In this facilitated roundtable, site leaders will discuss the current state of inclusive research at their own sites: what progress looks like, where gaps persist, and which approaches are improving representation in research.
Right-Sizing Site Training: Cut25 In Action
Training volume at research sites is increasing, yet the value of that training is rarely scrutinized. Sponsors need assurance that site staff are adequately prepared; sites need those requirements to be manageable. Bringing both sides to the conversation, we’ll share training opportunities and solutions identified from the SCRS Cut>25 initiative, evaluating where current training models are missing the mark. This session will explore how to advocate for smarter training design, set realistic expectations at the site level, and protect site bandwidth without compromising compliance.
To Scale Or Not To Scale: Site Types & Trends
European sites face a distinct growth challenge: the conditions that enabled large site networks elsewhere are not easily replicated here. Yet the pressure to scale — or risk losing sponsor interest — is real. Join us to assess site business models across Europe, including standalone sites, hospital-based research, academic institutions, SMOs, and emerging networks. We’ll review consolidation trends, public vs. private SMO markets, and the often-underexplored value of commercial-academic partnerships. Learn what sponsors actually want across different site types, with an honest conversation about how sites can make a case for dedicated clinical research capacity tailored to their current model and growth goals.