Under Pressure: The 5 Pain Points Keeping Researchers Up at Night (And How to Navigate Them)

By Jenna Levenson, PhD, RN, MS

It is a paradox of modern research: more data, more innovation, more tech—and yet, more burnout. If you are leading a lab, managing clinical trials, or steering a biotech startup, you are probably juggling a dozen priorities while trying to keep your science sharp and your team sane.

Based on conversations across academia, pharma, and biotech, here are the top five frustrations plaguing today’s researchers—and how we can start to fix them.

1. Funding Fatigue: The Grant Hustle Is Exhausting

Success rates are down, competition is up, and every application feels like a full-time job.

Pain Point:

• Chasing non-dilutive funding that aligns with your science and your timelines.

Smart Fix:

• Target RFAs with narrower scope (less competition).

• Use modular, “ready-to-customize” grant templates.

• Build relationships with program officers early—before submission.

2. Protocol Paralysis: Studies Are Getting More Complex

Between adaptive designs, multiple endpoints, and new regulatory standards, designing a trial now feels like writing a 200-page choose-your-own-adventure.

Pain Point:

• Translating real-world need into a streamlined, approvable protocol.

Smart Fix:

• Incorporate AI-powered tools to simulate inclusion/exclusion impacts.

• Engage with CROs early for feasibility insights.

• Keep endpoints focused on clinical relevance—not just statistical power.

3. Recruitment Roadblocks: Where Are the Patients?

Even great protocols stall when recruitment lags. And let’s be honest—patients are tired of being “engaged” without being empowered.

Pain Point:

• Enrollment targets that feel impossible in today’s climate.

Smart Fix:

• Use digital recruitment platforms with embedded analytics.

• Partner with advocacy groups that bring real trust and access.

• Make sure the patient voice is part of the study before it launches.

4. Data Drain: Drowning in Inputs, Starved for Insights

From EHRs and wearables to lab assays and ePROs, today’s studies generate terabytes—but that doesn’t mean better decisions.

Pain Point:

• Fragmented systems, manual cleaning, and late insights.

Smart Fix:

• Build a real-time data visualization dashboard.

• Prioritize systems with interoperability baked in.

• Train your team to interpret—not just collect—data.

5. Burnout & Brain Drain: Teams Are Tired

The hidden crisis in clinical research? Human exhaustion. Mid-level project managers are stretched thin, and postdocs are leaving the pipeline.

Pain Point:

• Retaining talent in a system that’s always “go, go, go.”

Smart Fix:

• Use hybrid training models for trial staff to reduce onboarding fatigue.

• Make career development a feature, not a fringe benefit.

• Reduce redundancy by automating low-value tasks.

Today's research environment is not for the faint of heart—but it is fixable.
By addressing pain points with smart systems, clear strategy, and actual human-centered thinking, we can get back to what really matters: moving science forward.