The ICR defines Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as: "A structured approach to maintaining, improving and broadening professional knowledge and personal qualities that enable clinical researchers to advance their professional development and to fulfill their professional, technical and ethical responsibilities throughout their working life".

Members of ICR have undertaken a professional and ethical obligation to remain up to date with best practice standards in clinical research, and the ICR has developed tools to assist our members achieve this.

Questions and Answers

Do I have to use ICR's CPD forms?

You have already made a start with CPD if you are using any of the following: training records, a learning log, appraisal system, or a personal development plan. CPD can be recorded in any format.

The ICR CPD forms can be used as a template. However, if you are using a record that works for you then there is no need to change.

What help do we offer?

• We offer email and telephone support to our members.
• We provide free templates for our members to use to demonstrate their continuing development. You can find them in our Useful Downloads.
• We review examples of completed records
• We supply 'Managing Your Own Professional Development ', by J. Burmester, to our members as a purchasable item.

If CPD is about commitment to develop myself, why do I have to provide paperwork to the ICR? It all seems a bit academic! 

The ICR will conduct a random audit of Professional members each year, to ensure CPD requirements are being met. Fellows are required to provide us with evidence of CPD each year. 

Audit Scheme

I'm very busy with work at the moment and I don't have time to do CPD!

CPD is about reflecting on the learning that you already do on a day-to-day basis. Clinical Research Professionals can demonstrate, and receive recognition for, their experience and level of expertise by applying for successively higher levels of membership with the ICR. Part of this process involves providing us with documented evidence of your continuing professional development.