General role description

Clinicians and healthcare professionals in this role primarily provide patient care, while also contributing to clinical research in either formal or informal ways. This may include formally being named as a study investigator or collaborating as part of a research team, or more informally by identifying eligible patients, collecting data during routine care, or supporting research activity within their department.

These roles are common in hospitals, health services and research-active departments, and are well suited to doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who want to combine hands-on care with a commitment to improving treatment outcomes through research. It can also be a valuable stepping stone into more research-focused roles.

Key responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and review of research studies relevant to clinical practice
• Identify eligible patients for clinical trials or research studies and help explain the consent process
• Collect clinical data and ensure it is accurately recorded during patient care
• Collaborate with research coordinators, investigators and study sponsors
• Ensure research activities are conducted safely, ethically, and in line with study protocols
• Participate in ethics submissions, study meetings, or dissemination of research findings as appropriate