The Contract Crisis: What WCG’s Latest Study Reveals About Clinical Research’s #1 Challenge

Key Takeaways

Clinical research is stuck in a contract crisis. Three out of four sites now name contracts and budgets as their biggest barrier and the problem is only getting worse.
Administrative overload is sidelining patients. Nearly half of sites are turning away new studies, and leading cancer centers activate just 9% of trials within 90 days.
Fixing it takes smarter–not more–tech. Contracting has missed the digital revolution — until now. The use of industry-specific AI can help to eliminate bottlenecks and bring speed back to science.

WCG Study Reinforces Contracts & Budget Urgency

Last week, WCG delivered its annual Clinical Research Site Challenges Report – an invaluable and eye-opening gift to our industry. It confirms what we all know: contracts and budgets remain the single biggest bottleneck in clinical research. But it also highlights something more alarming. The problem is getting worse, not better, with satisfaction dropping and sites turning away studies they desperately want to run.

The Stark Reality

The numbers paint a sobering picture. Three-quarters of all clinical research sites now cite contracts and budgets as their biggest obstacle to starting studies, but the crisis runs deeper at academic medical centers. A staggering 77% of AMCs report start-up times exceeding 60 days, with only 6% able to start studies within a month.

This isn’t just about delays anymore. Nearly half of sites are now turning away new studies entirely – not because they lack patients or interest, but because administrative bottlenecks make participation impossible. Meanwhile, industry satisfaction with contract processes has fallen below 70% for the first time ever, signaling a system in crisis.

The Human Cost

These statistics translate into real human impact across research teams. Principal Investigators, who entered medicine to heal and innovate, now rank contract negotiation efficiency as one of their top frustrations. Every hour they spend navigating administrative complexity is an hour stolen from patient care and scientific discovery.

The burden falls even harder on study coordinators, who show satisfaction scores 10 points lower than investigators across all metrics. These professionals – the backbone of clinical research – find themselves drowning in paperwork instead of supporting patients through their trial journey. It’s no wonder burnout has become endemic.

Consider this: leading cancer centers can only activate 9% of industry trials within 90 days. That means breakthrough therapies sit on shelves while administrative teams negotiate standard contract terms they’ve seen hundreds of times before. Behind each delay is a patient whose hope is put on hold.

The Hidden Workforce Crisis

WCG’s data reveals a troubling cascade effect. As NIH funding cuts force sites to pursue more industry trials to stay afloat, they need faster contracting just to maintain financial sustainability. Yet the administrative burden has become so overwhelming that 32% of sites have implemented hiring freezes and 25% have actually reduced staff. The very system meant to advance research is now shrinking our capacity to conduct it.

Study coordinators spend more time managing documents than managing patient care. Investigators divert their expertise from protocols to paperwork. The administrative burden isn’t just slowing research – it’s fundamentally reshaping who can afford to participate in advancing medicine.

The Technology Paradox

Here’s what’s particularly frustrating: while the industry has embraced digital transformation in protocol design, patient recruitment, and data management, contract negotiation remains trapped in the past. Technology platforms for clinical operations scored lowest in satisfaction at less than 60%, as sites struggle with fragmented systems that create more work, not less.

Academic medical centers, despite their technological resources and expertise, paradoxically face the longest delays. Their complex institutional requirements, meant to ensure compliance and protect patients, have created a maze that even experienced teams struggle to navigate efficiently.

Why We Built The Contract Network

This is precisely why The Contract Network exists. We believe there’s a better way forward – one where faster contracting is measured in days, not months. Where AI handles the repetitive negotiations that consume hours of human expertise. Where administrative barriers no longer stand between patients and the trials that could save their lives.

We’re not simply digitizing the old process. We’re using AI to fundamentally reimagine how research agreements work, with special attention to the complex requirements that make academic medical centers wait months to start trials. Our platform learns from every negotiation, growing smarter and faster while maintaining the compliance and quality these institutions require.

The Strategic Imperative

For academic medical centers and leading research institutions, solving the contract crisis isn’t just about operational efficiency – it’s about competitive survival. With sponsor satisfaction at historic lows, institutions that can deliver exceptional contracting experiences will become preferred partners. Contract efficiency has become a Top 10 factor in sponsor site selection.

The institutions that solve this challenge won’t just save time. They’ll run 15-20% more trials with existing staff, return precious hours to physician-investigators, and deliver innovative treatments to their communities months faster. In an era of constrained resources and intense competition, administrative excellence has become as important as clinical excellence.

Moving Forward

WCG’s reports remind us that behind every statistic is a patient waiting for treatment, a site trying to advance science, and a sponsor working to bring innovation to market. At The Contract Network, we’re committed to removing the administrative barriers that keep them apart.

When three-quarters of an industry identifies the same problem, and when our leading academic institutions see 77% of studies delayed by administration rather than science, we’re not looking at just another operational challenge. We’re looking at an opportunity to transform how clinical research works. For institutions that have mastered clinical excellence, administrative excellence is the next frontier – and AI is the key to conquering it. Let us show you how.