The Institute for Clinical Research has been “rethinking who we are as an organisation” following what board chair Janette Benaddi says was probably “one of the most challenging” years ever for the ICR in 2009.

That has necessitated “very many necessary and radical changes”, driven largely by the recession but also by member needs, Benaddi told the ICR 31st Annual Conference and Exhibition in London last month.

The UK-based organisation will need to continue adapting in a fluid global environment for clinical trials, Benaddi warned. But the ICR’s core aim is still to help its members with career development, raise standards and spread knowledge – “a professional organisation for professional people”.

The organisation brought in external consultants to help it review how best the ICR could be structured to ride out a difficult period, Benaddi told PharmaTimes Clinical News. The “radical changes” mentioned have only just started coming into effect, but they are essentially about diverting resources from marketing into membership services.

That has to be the ICR’s prime objective, Benaddi stressed. So while it is putting more effort into training and professional development, the focus remains on being a membership rather than a training organisation.

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