Scholarships and College Grants for Masters in Clinical Research Students

Are you interested in going back to school to earn a master’s degree in clinical research? Many students who earn bachelor’s degrees in this field ultimately earn a higher degree, but one of the main problems with advanced education is the cost. If you want to go back to school for an advanced degree in clinical research, scholarships and grants can help you pay for school so you don’t graduate with thousands of dollars of debt.

Scholarships versus Grants for Clinical Research Students

Scholarships and grants are both sources of money for school that don’t have to be repaid, but their similarities end there. Scholarships, which are often called fellowships at the graduate degree level, are given based on merit. You can get a scholarship for you academic achievements, for example, and some scholarships are given based on an essay you write for consideration by a scholarship committee. Grants, on the other hand, are based on need. Students who earn grants must show that they need this money for school, and some clinical research grants in particular ask students for a detailed report on how the money will be used. Grant applications are usually longer than scholarship applications, though it depends on the programs to which you apply.

Clinical Research Scholarships

While scholarships and fellowships are available from a variety of sources, clinical research students should begin by seeing what is available from their specific school. Most colleges offer programs for graduate students, though fellowships are typically accompanied by responsibilities to serve as a research or teaching assistant. Outside sources for clinical research scholarships or fellowships include the National Institutes of Health, the Doris Duke Research Foundation, Genentech, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Clinical Research Grants

Grants can also be offered directly from colleges, but outside sources are often a better source of grants. As a graduate student, you’ll no longer by eligible for the Pell Grant, but you can apply for grants from sources such as the National Center for Research Resources and the American Medical Association. You can also look for grants to fund a specific research project you complete while in school, rather than grants that go solely toward tuition.

Top Online Master's Degrees in Clinical Research & Related Subjects

Working in clinical research, you study the latest drug and pharmaceutical developments. A big sector of working in clinical research is working in drug safety. Before any drug hits the market, it must undergo many clinical tests to ensure its safety before making it available to the public. Clinical research covers medications, how often and when medications are the most effective and how useful medical products are for patients.

A masters in clinical research puts you in a position to obtain a top level lab position as a clinical researcher. There are many teams when working in labs for clinical research and that means upper level management positions that pay more and involve more responsibility. Studying for masters in clinical research will teach you communication skills, give you additional training in research, clinical science and how to work as a developer or manager on a team. There are several types of masters in clinical research degrees. Which you choose depends on the career you plan on having after obtaining your degree. Most masters in clinical research degrees are comprised of 32-36 hours.

The various masters in clinical research degrees offered usually focus on science or on the business aspect of clinical research. This gives you the option to work in the lab on an every day basis or to be in the office working in the corporate arena of clinical research. Usually those working in the corporate sector of clinical research have a few years of working in labs as a clinical researcher. Many pursuing a masters in clinical research also have a background in biotechnology.

MS in health science in clinical research administration

While the word ‘administration’ may bring to mind a secretarial position, rest assured that’s not what you’ll be doing with a masters of science in health science in clinical research administration. This masters degree teaches you leadership skills and how to manage a team when heading up a research project. Upper level lab positions will involve you planning a clinical trial, overseeing its execution and tracking results for a client. A masters in clinical research will help you prepare for developing medical products and tools for patients. It is a business-minded degree though it is a masters of science. This masters degree is also known as a MS in clinical research management and organization, and covers similar material.

What career can I have with a MS in clinical research?

The field of clinical research is booming and will continue to grow at a rapid rate. It is set to grow 20% through 2018. There are many different jobs you can have with a MS in clinical research, it all depends if you want to work in development or in labs running tests and conducting trials.

Drug development

In this career you’re working to develop new drugs for the public. You are employed by a private company in most cases. When working in testing and approving drug developments and whether they’re effective, you may be employed by a private company, the government or a university.

Contract research organization

Working in contract research organization, you’re able to take on contract jobs for companies and work in the development of medical products and tools. A company outsources this work to a third party CRO so they do not have to keep a staff on payroll while a product is created, tested and brought before the FDA.

Clinical data management

Clinical data management involves collecting data from any test, trial or treatment that is done. Clinical data is gathered for all of these things by computers, but clinical researchers go in and check from patterns. Further study is done on the clinical data for future studies and to support a drug or product seeking government approval.

Experimental medical treatments

Many new medical treatments are available for various diseases, both life threatening and non. These experimental treatments are usually conducted by private pharmaceutical companies, but may also be done by universities or private care facilities. A masters in clinical research will prepare you for a lead role in experimental medical treatments, managing the trial and presenting results after the treatment is over.