Dear All,

As I reflect on the past year and my role as the SCDM Chair of the Board, I am filled with immense pride in our achievements and a profound sense of purpose to continue amplifying the voice of Clinical Data Science (CDS) globally. Through our single-day events and conferences in Europe, China, Japan, the US, Africa, and India, we reached four continents, engaging with over 3,200 participants and hundreds of industry leaders. Together, we are united under one mission: to transform the future of clinical research for a healthier world.

In 2024, we began with a bold step: rebranding SCDM. This is not only a cosmetic change; it reflects a thoughtful analysis of our industry’s evolution through a fresh, bold and future-proof look, while remaining true to our core values and roots. Moving beyond the reflections initiated in 2019, it was time to turn our vision into reality.

Aligned with our Position Paper on establishing Clinical Data Science Organizations and topic briefs on critical themes such as risk-based CDM, AI, DCT, and the 5Vs of Clinical Data, we introduced an industry-wide CDM Competency Framework. This inclusive framework integrates foundational Clinical Data Management (CDM) competencies with emerging technologies such as assimilating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with data warehouses.

It serves as a comprehensive guide to attract new talent and elevate existing CDM experts to the next level.

Alongside the CDM Competency Framework and to support emerging talent, we launched a new Certification Program for Clinical Data Associates (CCDA) to support emerging talent. Additionally, we introduced a free, on-demand CDA 101 webinar to make foundational knowledge more accessible.

Two particularly memorable moments stood out for me in 2024. The first was during the SCDM Annual Conference in Boston where we had the opportunity to engage with students at Northeastern University, sharing the exciting career possibilities within Clinical Data Science. Many of these students, inspired by the potential of this field, enthusiastically attended the conference, and began contemplating the CCDA Certification as a launchpad for their careers. The second moment came during our India Annual Conference, where we celebrated the first graduates of the CCDA program on stage. It was a privilege to witness industry leaders recognize the importance of enabling new talent to emerge.

Having established the first two certification pillars—CCDM and CCDA—we are now embarking on the journey to create a Certification Program for Clinical Data Scientists (CCDS), with an ambitious goal of launching it by the end of 2025. In the interim, we unveiled a free, on-demand CDS 101 webinar at SCDM EMEA Conference in Warsaw, Poland.

Additionally, we began to revamp our education strategy and learning platform. This initiative goes beyond incremental improvements; it represents a groundbreaking step that has the potential to revolutionize the profession. By delivering personalized learning experiences that are impactful and intuitive, we aim to empower Clinical Data Managers to not only stay ahead of the curve but to actively shape the future of our field.

2024 will also be remembered as the year we placed patients at the heart of our mission by amplifying their voices and prioritizing their needs. The SCDM Annual Conference marked a turning point. From Kathryn Godburn Schubert’s keynote on the urgent need for gender equity in clinical research to powerful testimonies like Mark Dant’s advocacy for rare disease families and Marilyn Neault’s personal journey with Parkinson’s, SCDM championed the perspectives of those we serve.

We are also empowering patients with tools like the Plain Language Clinical Research Glossary, developed by the MRCT Center, ensuring complex research terminology is no longer a barrier to understanding. These efforts represent a pivotal step toward making clinical research more inclusive, transparent, and patient/participantcentric.

Our commitment extended to the sites that power clinical trials, addressing their increasing burdens in navigating evolving technologies and data requirements. During our conferences across the globe, panels of site experts illuminated challenges such as excessive data collection and the complexities of adopting new monitoring strategies. Their insights highlighted the need to prioritize the practical needs of sites, simplify workflows, and enable them to focus on their core mission: supporting patients and advancing research. Through dialogue and collaboration, we are laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem for clinical trial sites worldwide.

With strong momentum on our side, we look ahead in 2025 and our next major gathering in Brussels – the SCDM 2025 EMEA Conference. There, we will continue to foster partnerships, empower stakeholders, and accelerate our shared mission of delivering hope to patients and families in search of answers. Together, we are building a healthier world, one step at a time.

While we’ve accomplished much, our journey is far from over. We’ve built a strong foundation—it’s now time to accelerate, harness our collective energy, and drive forward with unwavering determination for the benefit of our patients.

To realize such an ambitious and mission-critical plan, we need the continued support of our community and dedicated volunteers. We call on more industry-leading organizations to join our partnership program to help fuel our engine of progress. We also seek collaboration with other non-profits to amplify the voices of the unheard, including patient and site advocacy groups. Together, we are creating a future where Clinical Data Science transforms lives on a global scale!

Patrick Nadolny

SCDM Chair of the Board 2024