Academic Research Coordinator

Career Guide

An Academic Research Coordinator supports research projects at universities, hospitals, and research institutes. The role focuses on coordinating study activities, managing documentation, supporting ethics and compliance processes, and keeping projects on schedule and within budget.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Coordinate day to day study operations and timelines
Support ethics review submissions and renewals
Maintain study documentation and version control
Track participant recruitment and scheduling when applicable
Coordinate communication with investigators and partners
Support data collection workflows and data quality checks
Manage study supplies, payments, and vendor coordination
Track budgets, invoices, and expense documentation
Prepare progress updates, meeting notes, and status reports
Support training and onboarding for study staff and students
Assist with manuscript, poster, and grant support tasks
Ensure adherence to institutional policies and sponsor requirements

Top Skills for Success

Project Planning

Stakeholder Communication

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Documentation Management

Data Literacy

Research Ethics Knowledge

Human Subjects Compliance

Grant Funded Research Administration

Study Coordination

Participant Scheduling

Quality Control

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Research Coordinator

Clinical Research Coordinator

Research Program Manager

Research Operations Manager

Research Compliance Specialist

Grants Manager

Transition Opportunities

Project Manager

Operations Manager

Data Manager

Research Analyst

Program Coordinator

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Budget ManagementContract ManagementRegulatory DocumentationData Management ToolsRisk ManagementReporting and Metrics

Development SuggestionsBuild a simple project tracker, learn the basics of budget and invoice tracking, practice writing clear study status updates, and seek supervised experience with ethics submissions and compliance documentation.

Market Intelligence Report

Academic Research Coordinator is part of the Clinical Research category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 45,000 to 60,000

Mid LevelUSD 60,000 to 80,000

Senior LevelUSD 80,000 to 105,000

Growth Trend

Stable to growing demand, driven by grant funded research, clinical studies, and increased compliance requirements.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Harvard UniversityStanford UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of California systemMayo ClinicCleveland ClinicKaiser PermanenteMass General BrighamDana-Farber Cancer InstituteFred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Industry Sectors

Higher EducationAcademic Medical CentersHospitals and Health SystemsResearch InstitutesPublic Health OrganizationsNonprofit Research OrganizationsGovernment Research Agencies

Recommended Next Steps

Create a portfolio of coordination artifacts such as timelines, trackers, and meeting notes

Learn institutional ethics submission workflows and documentation standards

Strengthen spreadsheet skills for tracking recruitment, tasks, and budgets

Take a short course in research compliance and good research practices

Ask to shadow a senior coordinator during an ethics submission cycle

Update your resume with measurable outcomes such as on time milestones and enrollment progress