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Clinical Research Coordinator

Healthcare

Plan, direct, or coordinate clinical research projects. Direct the activities of workers engaged in clinical research projects to ensure compliance with protocols and overall clinical objectives. May evaluate and analyze clinical data.

ScienceAllied Health

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA clinic or consultation room

  • Mostly indoors
  • Sitting for most of the day
  • Dealing with customers or the public
  • Regular working hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

Clinical trials in Malaysia run mainly in Ministry of Health hospitals. Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM), a government-owned company, trains study coordinators and places them at trial sites (it has close to 130). The locally used title is 'Study Coordinator' more often than 'Clinical Research Coordinator', and the usual next step is Clinical Research Associate at a CRO or pharmaceutical company.

How people get into it here
SPM → Diploma or Bachelor's in Nursing, Pharmacy, Biomedical Science or another life science → ICH-GCP certification → join Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) as a Study Coordinator (it runs a 12-week Foundation Programme) or work at a hospital research unit or private site. Many later move to CRO roles as Clinical Research Associates.

Sources:clinicalresearch.my

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Quick answers

How do you become a Clinical Research Coordinator in Malaysia?

SPM → Diploma or Bachelor's in Nursing, Pharmacy, Biomedical Science or another life science → ICH-GCP certification → join Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) as a Study Coordinator (it runs a 12-week Foundation Programme) or work at a hospital research unit or private site. Many later move to CRO roles as Clinical Research Associates.

What should I study to become a Clinical Research Coordinator?

Related fields of study: Science and Allied Health. SPM subjects that help most: English, Business, Biology and Chemistry.

How much does a Clinical Research Coordinator earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Clinical Research Coordinator pay, so we show no figure.

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Schedule subjects for appointments, procedures, or inpatient stays as required by study protocols.
  2. 2Perform specific protocol procedures such as interviewing subjects, taking vital signs, and performing electrocardiograms.
  3. 3Prepare study-related documentation, such as protocol worksheets, procedural manuals, adverse event reports, institutional review board documents, or progress reports.
  4. 4Assess eligibility of potential subjects through methods such as screening interviews, reviews of medical records, or discussions with physicians and nurses.
  5. 5Inform patients or caregivers about study aspects and outcomes to be expected.
  6. 6Record adverse event and side effect data and confer with investigators regarding the reporting of events to oversight agencies.
  7. 7Monitor study activities to ensure compliance with protocols and with all relevant local, federal, and state regulatory and institutional polices.
  8. 8Oversee subject enrollment to ensure that informed consent is properly obtained and documented.
  9. 9Maintain required records of study activity including case report forms, drug dispensation records, or regulatory forms.
  10. 10Dispense medical devices or drugs, and calculate dosages and provide instructions as necessary.
  11. 11Identify protocol problems, inform investigators of problems, or assist in problem resolution efforts, such as protocol revisions.
  12. 12Review proposed study protocols to evaluate factors such as sample collection processes, data management plans, or potential subject risks.
  13. 13Collaborate with investigators to prepare presentations or reports of clinical study procedures, results, and conclusions.
  14. 14Track enrollment status of subjects and document dropout information such as dropout causes and subject contact efforts.
  15. 15Code, evaluate, or interpret collected study data.
  16. 16Direct the requisition, collection, labeling, storage, or shipment of specimens.
  17. 17Instruct research staff in scientific and procedural aspects of studies including standards of care, informed consent procedures, or documentation procedures.
  18. 18Maintain contact with sponsors to schedule and coordinate site visits or to answer questions about issues such as incomplete data.
  19. 19Prepare for or participate in quality assurance audits conducted by study sponsors, federal agencies, or specially designated review groups.
  20. 20Order drugs or devices necessary for study completion.
  21. 21Arrange for research study sites and determine staff or equipment availability.
  22. 22Participate in the development of study protocols including guidelines for administration or data collection procedures.
  23. 23Contact outside health care providers and communicate with subjects to obtain follow-up information.
  24. 24Interpret protocols and advise treating physicians on appropriate dosage modifications or treatment calculations based on patient characteristics.
  25. 25Confer with health care professionals to determine the best recruitment practices for studies.
  26. 26Communicate with laboratories or investigators regarding laboratory findings.
  27. 27Contact industry representatives to ensure equipment and software specifications necessary for successful study completion.
  28. 28Review scientific literature, participate in continuing education activities, or attend conferences and seminars to maintain current knowledge of clinical studies affairs and issues.
  29. 29Register protocol patients with appropriate statistical centers as required.
  30. 30Organize space for study equipment and supplies.
  31. 31Develop advertising and other informational materials to be used in subject recruitment.
  32. 32Solicit industry-sponsored trials through contacts and professional organizations.
  33. 33Participate in preparation and management of research budgets and monetary disbursements.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Clinical Manager
  • Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Clinical Coordinator
  • Research Coordinator
  • Clinical Study Manager
  • Clinical Trial Manager
  • Postdoctoral Associate
  • Clinical Trials Manager
  • Postdoctoral Researcher
  • Clinical Program Manager

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service85%
  • English Language75%

    English

  • Administrative75%

    Business

  • Medicine and Dentistry65%

    BiologyChemistry

  • Administration and Management59%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Biology59%

    BiologyAdditional Science

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

22%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 28 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

14 of 28 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM800 – RM2,000

17 of 28 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM800 and RM2,000 a month. Many print none.

Minimum CGPA asked

3.00 to 3.00

Stated in 2 adverts. Others did not state one.

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Clinical Research Coordinators

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org