What the work involves
A site investigator conducts or supervises a study under a protocol, works with an institutional review board and reports to the sponsor. Duties depend on the study and your role at the site.
Who the work may fit
This fits physicians who have research training or site experience and the time for protocol visits. Ask which role you would hold and who else is on the study team.
Questions before you say yes
- Am I the investigator or a sub-investigator?
- Which protocol, site and IRB are involved?
- How much time will visits and documentation take?
- Who supervises study staff and delegated tasks?
- What payment and expense terms apply, and is my site or employer a party?
Your first step
Ask for the protocol synopsis, the site and IRB names, and the time commitment before you agree to sign anything.
What can go wrong
Signing an investigator commitment without understanding that you must conduct or supervise the study personally and report adverse experiences.
How to get started, step by step
Turn the idea into a specific next action. These are preparation steps, not approval to perform a role.
- Ask the sponsor or research site for the protocol summary and your proposed role.
- Confirm which institution and IRB oversee the study.
- Check your employer's approval process for outside research.
- Ask what training, documentation and visit time are expected.
- Agree on payment, expenses and responsibilities in writing.
Where to look and who to ask
Use search terms and contacts that fit this work. Check the actual source and current requirements; these suggestions are not verified openings or Saile inventory.
- Ask your hospital or clinic research office about studies seeking investigators.
- Ask local research sites and contract research organizations about openings.
- Check any opportunity against the sponsor's and site's written terms.
Scheduling and payment realities
Study visits follow protocol timelines. Ask how visit windows fit your clinical schedule.
Keep gross pay and taxes separate
For federal employment taxes, the IRS considers control and the relationship, not only the contract label. Self-employed individuals generally pay income and self-employment tax and may need estimated payments. Keep payment and expense records and ask a tax professional about your actual arrangement; this guide does not calculate take-home pay.
IRS: Independent contractor or employee
IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
Before you say yes: a final checklist
Do not let an unanswered question become an assumed term.
- Do I know my role?
- Do I understand the commitments I would sign?
- Does my employer allow it?
- Is protocol time realistic?
- Are payment terms in writing?
Work types to compare
Telemedicine
Compare visit type, patient states, schedule and clinical support.
Locum tenens
Compare assignment duties, onboarding, travel and written terms.
Per diem / PRN
Compare minimum commitments, offered shifts and cancellation rules.
Consulting / project work
Compare eligibility, deliverables, conflicts and review deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
How much does this work pay?
This guide does not quote a market rate or promise earnings. Compare a verified written offer, including all required work and expenses.
Does Saile have this work available now?
Check the Saile app for current openings. This educational guide does not claim that a particular role or project is available.
Can I do this alongside my main job?
Check outside-work approval, conflicts, confidentiality and scheduling obligations before accepting.
What should I get in writing?
The work, deliverables, schedule, payment terms, coverage responsibilities, cancellation terms and the steps required before starting.
What should I do next?
Request a sample task without unnecessary patient information, a review policy and an escalation path. Read confidentiality and liability terms before taking access to records.
What the primary sources say
Under 21 CFR 312.53, a sponsor must select only investigators qualified by training and experience as appropriate experts to investigate the drug. Before an investigator begins, the sponsor must obtain a signed investigator statement (Form FDA 1572) that names the investigator, the protocol, the research facility, any clinical laboratory and the IRB responsible for review. In it the investigator commits to conduct the study according to the protocol, change it only after notifying the sponsor unless needed to protect subjects, personally conduct or supervise the investigation, inform subjects the drug is investigational and ensure informed consent and IRB review requirements are met, report adverse experiences to the sponsor, and read and understand the investigator's brochure. Ask the sponsor to walk you through the form before you sign it.