ResearchMatch for Investigators Seeking Participants

What is ResearchMatch?

ResearchMatch is a nonprofit program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is a free and secure tool that researchers use to invite volunteers to take part in their health research studies. Studies submitted to ResearchMatch must be clinical and translational research with health-related outcomes.

How does ResearchMatch work?

Researchers register with ResearchMatch and search the de-identified database for potential participants that match their study’s eligibility criteria. If a match is found, researchers can send their contact message with details about the study through ResearchMatch to volunteers.

Joining ResearchMatch as a researcher allows you to view aggregate registry data of volunteers that meet your study’s criteria (feasibility access).

To gain recruitment access to contact volunteers, you need the following:

  • A UC Berkeley approved non-exempt protocol that includes ResearchMatch as a recruitment tool
  • UC Berkeley recruiting materials attached to your approved protocol
  • A health-related IRB approved study
  • An IRB-approved contact message (see below for examples)

How to join ResearchMatch?

Visit ResearchMatch.org to register as a researcher. You do not need IRB approval to join or to gain feasibility access. Any questions can be directed to our ResearchMatch liaison via ophs@berkeley.edu.

NOTE – you must complete the registration process in one sitting, or your information will not be saved. To register for recruitment or feasibility access, go to the ResearchMatch website, click on “Register” and follow the instructions.

For Research Participants and ResearchMatch Volunteers

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a research participant for studies using ResearchMatch, please see ResearchMatch for Participants.

Contact Message Rules

You will be prompted to enter a study description/recruitment message that is approved by your IRB for use on ResearchMatch. You may need to submit an Amendment Application to update your UC Berkeley protocol to include ResearchMatch as a method of recruitment along with your ResearchMatch recruiting materials. Ultimately, your UC Berkeley approved recruiting material/contact message will be sent to your identified cohort.

This message should describe your study much like an email recruitment message, but it cannot contain phone numbers, email addresses, links to websites, or embedded surveys. Your message cannot exceed 2000 characters.

Example Contact Message 1

People at risk for getting diabetes are needed for the Pre-diabetes Study

By taking part, you would help us learn if a medicine now used to treat people with diabetes could also help to prevent diabetes in people at risk

You may qualify for the Pre-diabetes study if you:

  • Already have a xyz blood test from your health care provider
  • Have at least one symptom of xyz
  • Are 18-45 years old
  • Do not have xyz
  • Are not being treated with insulin or prednisone

This study involves:

Blood sugar testing and exams

Study medicine or placebo

12 visits to the study center over 2 years

Participants will be compensated at study completion

  • No direct study team contact identifiers: no e-mail addresses, postal addresses, or phone numbers
  • Maximum 2000 characters
  • No embedded surveys

Example Contact Message 2

Would you like to help researchers learn more about the causes of motor neuron diseases such as ALS and SMA?

Are you interested in helping researchers who are trying to learn more about the causes of motor neuron diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and SMA? Researchers at UC Berkeley are looking for study volunteers. You may be eligible for this study if:

  • You are 18 years or older.
  • You are a healthy volunteer OR if a physician has determined that you have ALS, SMA or another disorder affecting the motor neuron or nerve.
  • You are available for one visit for approximately 1 hour.
  • You are willing to have a small biopsy of skin taken from a small spot on your leg.

The skin around the spot will be numbed prior to the sample being taken. The skin biopsy procedure is a standard technique used to look at nerve fibers in the skin. For this study, the researchers will use the skin cells from the biopsy to grow a lot of skin cells (called a culture) and these will be converted to nerve cells.

If you are interested in hearing more about this study, please click “yes” so that a study team member may contact you.

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