Microsoft

Regulatory, Compliance & Participant Engagement

Microsoft

Regulatory, Compliance & Participant Engagement

 Microsoft

Instructor: Microsoft

Included with Coursera PlusLearn more

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Identify and apply regulatory compliance obligations, including FDA requirements and ICH-GCP standards.

  • Explain IRB oversight functions and identify study materials requiring IRB review.

  • Apply ALCOA documentation principles to clinical trial source records and study binders.

  • Conduct informed consent processes following site procedures and version control requirements.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

October 2026

Assessments

18 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

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Build your Research expertise

This course is part of the Microsoft Clinical Research Coordinator Professional Certificate
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate from Microsoft

There are 9 modules in this course

This module introduces the regulatory obligations that clinical research sites must follow during trial conduct, covering protocol adherence, participant protection, safety reporting, and record retention under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and the International Council for Harmonization—Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) guidelines. You'll review a protocol excerpt in Microsoft Word and flag compliance checkpoints using a structured annotation template. Understanding these obligations—and how they are implemented through your site’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)—is the foundation for every compliance task a coordinator performs and protects both participants and your site's ability to conduct research.

What's included

1 video2 readings2 assignments

This module teaches you how to verify that required approvals, staff authorization, and procedural documents are in place before or during study tasks using a structured audit checklist in Microsoft Excel. You'll conduct a mock compliance audit by reviewing simulated delegation logs and SOPs, then document findings with corrective action recommendations. Performing these checks is a routine coordinator responsibility that catches problems before monitors or auditors do.

What's included

1 video2 readings3 assignments

This module explains how the IRB functions at each stage of a clinical trial from initial protocol review through continuing review, amendment oversight, and participant protection decisions. You'll complete a structured responsibilities brief template in Microsoft Word that outlines the IRB's role at each stage with regulatory references. Coordinators interact with the IRB constantly, and understanding its functions ensures timely submissions and compliant study conduct.

What's included

1 video2 readings2 assignments

This module focuses on which documents and events must be submitted to the IRB and when. You'll populate a pre-formatted inventory template in Microsoft Excel that tracks all IRB-required materials for a sample trial scenario. Coordinators manage IRB submissions routinely, and knowing exactly what requires review prevents implementation of unapproved materials—a common compliance finding at study sites.

What's included

2 videos2 readings2 assignments

This module introduces the standard documents that must be maintained at a clinical research site to demonstrate proper study conduct and staff readiness. You'll cross-reference a simulated site file against a pre-formatted checklist in Microsoft Excel to verify document completeness during a simulated audit scenario. Knowing what documents are required and checking their completeness is one of the most frequent tasks a coordinator performs before monitor visits and inspections.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

This module teaches you to apply ALCOA documentation principles, Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, and Accurate, when completing clinical research records. You'll complete a sample documentation form in Microsoft Word that contains intentional errors requiring proper ALCOA corrections, then organize it in SharePoint with version control. Every entry a coordinator makes must meet these standards, as they determine whether data will withstand regulatory scrutiny.

What's included

1 video2 readings3 assignments

This module covers what must be included in every informed consent form so potential participants can make a truly informed decision about joining a study. You'll complete a structured checklist template in Microsoft Word that identifies all essential consent elements, including descriptions and regulatory references. Coordinators must verify consent form completeness before use and explain each element to participants—making this knowledge fundamental to daily practice.

What's included

1 video2 readings2 assignments

This module teaches you the step-by-step operational process of obtaining informed consent—from verifying you have the correct form version through documenting timing and filing the signed copy. You'll practice the consent workflow through a guided role-play scenario using Coursera Coach that simulates a real participant interaction. Executing this process correctly every time is non-negotiable for coordinators, as consent errors are among the most common and serious compliance findings at study sites.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments

This project integrates regulatory compliance, IRB submission, clinical documentation, and informed consent skills into a single site readiness package for a simulated Phase III cardiovascular trial. You'll assemble a compliance checklist, IRB inventory, ALCOA-compliant documentation form, and consent verification using Microsoft Word, Excel, and SharePoint — organized with proper naming conventions and version control. Assembling this package is the first real deliverable a new coordinator produces, and demonstrating site readiness before a sponsor's initiation visit is critical for earning study awards and beginning enrollment.

What's included

3 readings1 assignment

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Instructor

 Microsoft
490 Courses3,010,624 learners

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Microsoft

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¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.