Preparing the Future Workforce in Drug Research and Development

Despite advances over the past several decades, the clinical trials enterprise has struggled to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. population. To help address this issue, a 2023 National Academies workshop sought to identify the expertise and disciplines needed to achieve the aspirations for a transformed clinical trials enterprise by 2030 and enable a workforce that can better support the evolving needs of drug R&D - one that is resilient, culturally aware, anti-racist, and interdisciplinary. The workshop, hosted by the Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation and Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine explored strategies to bolster workforce capacity and challenges and opportunities associated with supporting the next-generation drug R&D workforce.

Table of Contents

Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Exploring the Future State of the Clinical Trials Workforce 3 Examining the Current State of the Clinical Trials Workforce 4 Overcoming Barriers to Progress 5 Envisioning the Future Landscape 6 Scaling and Sustainability of Workforce Programs 7 Policies for Workforce Sustainability and Future-Proofing 8 Considering A Path Forward References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of the Workshop Planning Committee, Speakers, and Panelists