Minding the gaps: assessing and addressing clinical research core competencies across a network of Canadian cancer centres.

The Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN, the Network), established in 2014 to address the decline in academic cancer clinical trials' (ACCT) activity, has successfully achieved incremental year-over-year accrual targets as well as implemented recognized performance measures and supports for improving efficiency and quality of trial activities at member sites across Canada. As part of efforts to address ongoing challenges of staff recruitment, retention, and turnover in academic institutions that have been more recently exacerbated by the pandemic, the Network's Performance Strategy Sub-Committee (PSC) oversaw surveys of site clinical research professionals intended to capture workforce development status and identify knowledge gaps using the Joint Task Force Core Competency Framework (JTF CCF) as the standard basis for assessment. Accountable to the 3CTN Management Committee, the PSC consists of clinical research operations experts across Canada responsible for overseeing implementation and monitoring progress of this initiative.