ResearchMatch (RM)

Are you looking for participants for your study? ResearchMatch may be able to help.

ResearchMatch (RM) is an NIH-sponsored clinical research registry of over 160,000 volunteers nation-wide who are interested in participating in appropriate studies. An on-line tool, RM is now available to all Rutgers researchers for feasibility, aggregate data, and with IRB approval, recruiting study participants.

Getting Started with RM

The first step is to register with ResearchMarch and set up your RM account.  Choose Rutgers University from the list of institutions. Follow the instructions to electronically sign the Researcher Acknowledgement Form, and enter your contact information.

Select the level of access that you want. There are two levels of access:

• Feasibility access allows you to view aggregate data regarding the RM population. This may be sufficient to determine if there are sufficient participants who meet your study’s needs. Feasibility access does not require prior IRB approval.
• Recruitment access will allow you to contact registered volunteers. Recruitment access requires prior IRB approval, as well as, meeting the specifications that are outlined in Rutgers site-specific instructions Recruiting through ResearchMatch: A Guide for Rutgers Researchers. Requesting recruitment access is only appropriate, when you are ready to start recruiting participants, have already received IRB approval to use RM as a recruitment tool, and the IRB has approved both of your contact messages (initial contact email and Recruitment email).

Rutgers approval: Your request for RM access will be forwarded to the institutional liaison, who serve as the point of contact between RM and the Rutgers research community. They are responsible for verifying your eligibility and assuring you are a member of the Rutgers research community. They are available to answer questions and provide information on the Rutgers specific requirements, as well as, providing guidance on preparing your contact messages submitted to the IRB for approval.

 Recruiting from the RM volunteers

• Approved researchers search non-identifiable volunteer data to find possible matches for their studies.  They then send an initial contact message about their study through ResearchMatch to these possible matches. Example of an IRB-approved initial contact email
• Volunteers receive this message by email.  After reading the IRB approved initial contact email, the volunteer can determine if they are interested in receiving additional information about the study. If interested the volunteer’s contact information is provided to the researcher by RM.
• The researcher may then directly contact those volunteers who want to learn more about their study and the volunteer can decide whether or not to participate in it. Example of an IRB-approved recruitment email.

More detailed instructions on the recruitment process are available at Recruiting through ResearchMatch: A Guide for Rutgers Researchers.

Questions?

Contact the Rutgers ResearchMatch liaisons at researchmatchatrutgers@rbhs.rutgers.edu or visit the ResearchMatch FAQs page.