Dose selection is the specific item in this notice worth noticing, because it is the decision in early-phase trials where being wrong hurts people.
Short answer: On 29 April 2026 the FDA published a Request for Information on an AI-Enabled Optimization of Early-Phase Clinical Trials Pilot Program, covering trial efficiency, safety monitoring, dose selection and early go/no-go decisions. Comments closed 29 June, with selections expected in August.
Key takeaways
- On 29 April 2026 the FDA published a Request for Information in the Federal Register on a proposed AI-Enabled Optimization of Early-Phase Clinical Trials Pilot Program, later extending the.
- 148 live listings in this category publish a rate, at a median top-of-range of $75 an hour and a ceiling of $250.
- The work is remote contract work, asynchronous, with no set hours and no guaranteed volume.
- Applications screen on a short skills assessment rather than a resume or interview.
What was reported
The finding
On 29 April 2026 the FDA published a Request for Information in the Federal Register on a proposed AI-Enabled Optimization of Early-Phase Clinical Trials Pilot Program, later extending the comment period to 29 June 2026. The stated aims are improving trial efficiency, enhancing safety monitoring, facilitating dose selection decisions and enabling more informed early go/no-go decisions, while maintaining the agency's scientific and regulatory standards and promoting trustworthy AI systems. The pilot involves recruiting sponsors pursuing early phase trials through applications to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Oncology Center of Excellence. The FDA planned to release selection criteria in July with pilot selections expected by August. The RFI sought comment on scope, participant selection, collaboration models, operational structure, timeline and knowledge sharing.
The FDA's April RFI proposes a pilot on AI-enabled optimisation of early-phase trials covering efficiency, safety monitoring, dose selection and early go/no-go decisions, run through CDER, CBER and the Oncology Center of Excellence. Comments closed on 29 June, with selection criteria in July and selections expected by August.
What the listings pay
The framing throughout is assistive. This is the same agency that stated its AI tools do not make regulatory decisions or replace human judgement, and that issued a warning letter in April requiring AI output in manufacturing to be reviewed by authorised Quality Unit personnel.
| # | Role | Advertised rate | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cybersecurity Research Expert, Offensive Security & Vulnerability Research | $200 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 2 | Senior Design Expert - Paid AI Design Research Study | $150 to $250 an hour | Mercor |
| 3 | Disease-Area Clinician, Trial Endpoints & Prescribing | $150 to $230 an hour | Mercor |
| 4 | Pharma Commercial Forecasting Expert, Launch Curves | $130 to $210 an hour | Mercor |
| 5 | Therapeutic Area & Clinical Survey Expert | $200 to $200 an hour | Mercor |
| 6 | Clinician (Oncology / Hematology) | $160 to $200 an hour | micro1 |
| 7 | Multilingual Primary Care Physician (MD): Clinical Documentation & AI Evaluation | $170 to $190 an hour | Mercor |
| 8 | Medical Safety Expert | $140 to $190 an hour | Mercor |
| 9 | Clinical Law Professor / Clinic Director | $180 to $180 an hour | Mercor |
| 10 | Multilingual Inpatient Hospitalist (MD): Clinical Documentation & AI Evaluation | $170 to $170 an hour | Mercor |
Source: 148 live listings on this board that publish a rate, read directly from each posting on 2026-09-06. Listings without a published rate are excluded rather than estimated.
How this compares across the board
A rate only means something next to the alternatives. This is every category we track with at least five listings publishing a rate, ranked by median top-of-range, so you can see where this work sits rather than taking a single number on trust.
| Category | Listings | Median low | Median top | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | 95 | $100 | $140 | $400 |
| Medical | 68 | $77 | $120 | $400 |
| Consulting | 45 | $80 | $120 | $280 |
| Finance | 94 | $80 | $110 | $280 |
| Engineering | 114 | $70 | $100 | $300 |
| Research/PhD | 132 | $70 | $90 | $280 |
| Writing | 36 | $40 | $80 | $280 |
| Bilingual | 78 | $44 | $52 | $120 |
| Annotation | 25 | $12 | $24 | $120 |
Same source and date as above. Categories are matched on listing title, so a role can appear in more than one.
What it means for you
A regulator formally piloting AI in the highest-stakes part of drug development, while insisting a qualified human owns the decision, is a durable demand signal. Across 148 live clinical, trial and regulatory listings on our board that publish a rate, the median top-of-range is $75 an hour, reaching $250.
What early-phase means for the risk profile
Phase 1 is where a compound meets humans for the first time and where dose escalation decisions are made on small numbers of participants. There is little data, and the cost of an optimistic reading is measured in harm rather than in delay.
That is the opposite of the conditions models handle well. They are strongest where there is abundant precedent and weakest where the sample is small and the signal ambiguous, which is exactly the early-phase situation.
Hence the pilot structure. The FDA is testing whether AI can improve the surrounding decisions, monitoring and efficiency, rather than proposing it make the call.
Who labs want for this work
Clinical development, pharmacovigilance and early-phase trial operations experience map most directly. Knowing how a dose escalation decision is actually argued is the specific value.
Oncology experience is disproportionately in demand, which follows from the Oncology Center of Excellence being named in the pilot and from oncology carrying the most intricate eligibility and safety logic.
As with every clinical listing on this board, there is no patient contact and no protected health information. You evaluate model reasoning, not live records.
Who should apply
Two checks before you spend time on an application. Confirm the role accepts applicants from your country with the eligibility checker, since a meaningful share of listings carry location requirements. Then run the advertised rate through the take-home calculator, because this is contract work and the headline figure is before self-employment tax.
Applications complete on the hiring platform and usually take a few minutes, with a short skills assessment in place of an interview. Fill in every credential, language and professional background field on your profile. Those are what route you to the better paid listings, and most applicants leave them blank.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FDA piloting?
An AI-Enabled Optimization of Early-Phase Clinical Trials Pilot Program, proposed in an April 2026 Request for Information, covering trial efficiency, safety monitoring, dose selection and early go/no-go decisions.
Which FDA centres are involved?
The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and the Oncology Center of Excellence.
What is the timeline?
The RFI published 29 April 2026 with comments extended to 29 June. Selection criteria were planned for July and pilot selections expected by August.
Does this mean AI will make trial decisions?
No. The FDA has stated its AI tools do not make regulatory decisions or replace human judgement, and the pilot is framed around supporting decisions rather than making them.
What does clinical AI evaluation pay?
Across 148 live clinical and regulatory listings publishing a rate, the median top-of-range is $75 an hour, reaching $250.
What background fits best?
Clinical development, pharmacovigilance and early-phase trial operations, with oncology experience disproportionately in demand.
Is PHI involved?
No. You evaluate model reasoning using clinical knowledge, with no patient contact and no protected health information.
Sources
- Federal Register, AI-Enabled Optimization of Early-Phase Clinical Trials Pilot Program; Request for Information
- Hall Render, FDA issues RFI on AI-enabled optimization of early-phase clinical trials pilot program
- ASCO AI in Oncology, FDA explores AI to accelerate early-phase clinical trials in pilot program
See every live role
The full board updates several times a week, with the advertised rate on each listing and closed roles removed.