Featuring: Lori Elliot, Director of Budgets & Contracts
In clinical research, speed matters. But not speed for speed’s sake. Speed without sacrificing discipline or site sustainability. Speed that ultimately gets patients access to new therapies sooner.
At Tekton Research, contracting and budgeting is not an administrative afterthought. It is a strategic lever for activation performance.
Under the leadership of Lori Elliot, Director of Budgets & Contracts, our team has built a model focused on momentum, transparency, and operational realism.
The 30-Day Standard And Why It Matters
Lori sets a clear benchmark: 30 days or less for contract turnaround.
Our current average: 20.3 days.
This is not a vanity metric.
Faster contracting directly impacts:
- Time to IRB submission
- Site activation timelines
- Sponsor report card performance
- Enrollment start dates
As Lori puts it:
“The quicker the contract, the faster we get that study to start with patients coming into the site.”
In an industry where weeks often turn into months, disciplined turnaround time becomes a competitive advantage.
Momentum Is a Process, Not an Accident
Efficient contracting requires structure. Speed comes from predictability. Predictability builds trust. And trust shortens negotiation cycles. Tekton’s approach includes:
- 24-hour to 3-day first response windows
- Proactive follow-up cadence to prevent stalled negotiations
- Minimizing unnecessary redlines and touchpoints
- Clear justification for essential fees
- Defined internal review pathways to reduce back-and-forth
Clinical Insight Changes the Negotiation Dynamic
Lori’s background includes direct clinical experience – a perspective that materially changes how budgets are built and defended. Tekton teams have the expertise and background required to negotiate budgets grounded in operational truth. When sponsors understand the “why” behind line items, alignment happens faster.
What this really looks like:
| Procedural Time Requirements |
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Why it matters: If budget line items don’t reflect true chair time and staff time, sites absorb the gap. |
| Staffing Realities |
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Why it matters: Budget and timeline planning must reflect who is actually available to execute the work. |
| Regulatory Burden |
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Why it matters: Regulatory time compounds across studies and must be sustainably funded |
| Data Entry Complexity |
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Why it matters: The visit may be 60 minutes, but data cleanup can add another 30–45 minutes later on. |
| Visit Flow Logistics |
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Why it matters: A protocol that looks clean on paper can create operational gridlock if flow isn’t considered. |
Addressing Industry Friction Points Head-On
Clinical trial contracting isn’t just about internal efficiency. It’s about addressing systemic challenges. Some of the areas where negotiations commonly stall include:
- Indemnification language
- Standard fee resistance
- Budget grid inconsistencies
- Payment cadence (especially quarterly payments that strain site cash flow)
Throughout her career in clinical research, Lori has been advocate for greater industry standardization in budget grids and terminology – a shift that would reduce redundant negotiation cycles across sponsors and site networks.
She also emphasizes a critical but often overlooked reality: delayed payments don’t just inconvenience sites. They threaten sustainability. Healthy sites enroll better. Healthy sites retain better. Healthy sites generate higher-quality data. Contracting decisions have downstream impact.
Contracting as a Strategic Growth Lever
At Tekton, contracting is directly tied to:
- Activation speed
- Sponsor experience
- Investigator satisfaction
- Network-wide operational performance
“Our overall goal is to get this study up and going so that we can help the patients out there.”
That mindset shapes every negotiation. Because at the end of the redlines and budget grids are real patients waiting for access to care.
The Bigger Picture
The future of high-performing site networks will be defined by:
- Operational transparency
- Financial sustainability
- Standardized processes
- Relationship-driven execution
- Measurable activation performance
Contracting is no longer just administrative execution. It is strategic infrastructure. And when done well, it becomes one of the strongest predictors of study success.
At Tekton Research, we believe accelerating study start-up starts long before first patient in. It starts at the contract table.
Learn more about how our specialized expertise can help bring your next breakthrough treatment to patients in need.
About Lori Elliott, Director, Budgets & Contracts
Lori Elliott serves as Director of Budgets & Contracts at Tekton Research, where she leads contracting strategy as a critical driver of study start-up performance. With a strong foundation in both clinical operations and financial management, Lori brings a uniquely practical perspective to budget development and negotiation—ensuring studies are structured for both speed and long-term site sustainability.
At Tekton, she has built a disciplined, process-driven approach to contracting that consistently accelerates timelines, with turnaround times averaging just over 20 days. Her ability to align sponsor expectations with real-world site operations has made contracting a strategic advantage across the network, directly impacting activation speed, investigator experience, and overall study success.
With more than a decade of experience spanning clinical trial operations, CTMS management, and budget negotiation, Lori is known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach, and ability to navigate complex negotiations with clarity and efficiency.