Free, no sign-up to start: the plan opens as a live, editable Gantt chart. 13 tasks across 3 phases, about 94 weeks if every task runs in sequence.
What's in the template
| Phase | Task | Example duration |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | Protocol finalization | 30 days |
| Startup | Ethics or IRB submission and approval | 45 days |
| Startup | Site feasibility and selection | 30 days |
| Startup | Site contracts and budgets | 45 days |
| Startup | Site initiation visits | 14 days |
| Conduct | Enrollment | 120 days |
| Conduct | Treatment and follow-up | 180 days |
| Conduct | Monitoring visits | 60 days |
| Conduct | Data cleaning and query resolution | 30 days |
| Close | Database lock | 7 days |
| Close | Statistical analysis | 30 days |
| Close | Clinical study report | 45 days |
| Close | Site close-out | 21 days |
Durations are examples to replace with your own estimates, not benchmarks.
About this clinical trial timeline
Study startup is where trial timelines often slip: ethics approval, site contracts and site activation all have to finish before the first participant is enrolled. This template keeps those startup tasks as their own rows rather than one vague 'startup' bar.
It is a planning aid for a single interventional study, not a regulatory document. Durations are placeholders; your sponsor, CRO and sites will have their own estimates and requirements.
Who it's for: Clinical operations leads, study coordinators and project managers at sponsors, CROs and academic sites.
How to use it
- Open the timeline. Click Open in the editor to load the study plan.
- Run startup tasks in parallel. Contracts and ethics review usually overlap. Unlink them and keep site initiation dependent on both. In the task panel, remove the predecessor, then set the new start date. Then check that the task that came next still lists the earlier work as a predecessor, so delays keep cascading.
- Overlap enrollment and follow-up. Follow-up starts with the first enrolled participant; adjust the bars to match your protocol.
- Share with the study team. Send a read-only link to sites and vendors so everyone works from the same milestones.
Planning tips
- Once you know site activation dates, plan enrollment per site rather than as one bar.
- Database lock depends on query resolution; keep them as separate tasks.
- Use milestones for regulatory and ethics approvals so they stand out.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this template compliant with clinical trial regulations?
- No template is compliant by itself. This is a planning aid for timelines; your protocol, regulators and quality system govern how the study is run and documented.
- Can I plan multiple sites?
- Yes. Add a row per site for contracts and activation, then link enrollment to the sites that gate it.
- How long can a plan be?
- Plans can run up to two years in the editor, which covers many single-study timelines.
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