Evidence-based education for clinical research
Representative clinical trials depend on the recruitment conversation
Short, practical courses for investigators and research teams that translate decades of research from social and cognitive psychology and social neuroscience into skills for recruiting representative samples, consistently and confidently.
The requirement is clear. The method is not.
European regulation now expects trial populations to reflect the people who will use the medicine. The EU Clinical Trials Regulation asks sponsors to justify enrollment that is not representative, ICH E8(R1) points development toward more diverse study populations, and the EMA’s ACT EU initiative calls for inclusive participation to produce robust data.
None of this tells a research team how to do it.
Representativeness is won or lost in moments: which eligible patients come to mind, who gets invited, how the invitation is framed, and how the consent conversation handles hesitation. Under time pressure, interruptions, and high cognitive load, automatic shortcuts in how all of our minds process information shape those moments, usually without anyone noticing. This is not a failing of individual recruiters. It is a predictable property of skilled people working in demanding conditions, and it is one of the largest unaddressed sources of incomplete and unrepresentative enrollment.
Evaluated before release, with the people who do this work
We evaluate every course with experienced professionals before making it available, and we publish our approach and results in full.
86%
of experienced recruiters reported insights not covered in other education they had received.
100%
reported the course would improve their recruitment effectiveness and confidence.
18,000+
clinicians and research professionals have evaluated our courses through our US affiliate, Humanitas Institute.
Two brief courses, because two roles exist
Diversity Science develops evidence-based education that turns findings from the mind sciences into practical, in-the-moment skills for research teams.
For principal investigators · about 10 minutes
Introduction and Handoff
A focused course on the trust-building initial introduction and the handoff that keeps patient confidence intact when the research team takes over.
For research staff · about 20 minutes
The Complete Recruitment Conversation
The complete recruitment and informed consent conversation, from establishing psychological safety through responding to hesitation and emotional cues.
“It was very engaging and provided current evidence-based techniques that I believe every clinical trial recruiter needs to learn and remind themselves of when recruiting and consenting participants.”
Nurse, course evaluation
A community of scientists and practitioners
Diversity Science was founded by researchers whose work has helped shape what the field knows about interactions in high-stakes settings, including decades of peer-reviewed research in social psychology and healthcare delivery. Our courses are used by leading US healthcare organizations through our affiliate, Humanitas Institute, and are now available to European research organizations.
Working on the same problem?
We welcome conversations with sponsors, CROs, site networks, and research teams working on enrollment representativeness. We are happy to discuss the evidence base or course structure.