Especially for Research Volunteers
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is research?
- What do participants do?
- What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
- Who can volunteer to be a research participant?
- Can children participate in research too?
- What rights do I have as a participant?
- What information should the researcher give to me?
- What will happen if I volunteer for research at UCI?
- What are the benefits of participating?
- Will I be paid for participating?
- How do I protect my rights if I volunteer?
Reporting a Concern or Complaint
The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is concerned about the safety, rights and welfare of all individuals participating in research studies conducted by UCI personnel and/or at UCI, UCI Medical Center, or affiliated sites. All research concerns or complaints reported to the HRPP are taken seriously.
The Consent form or Information Letter that you receive when you are invited to be a research participant includes the contact information of the researcher. We recommend that you contact the researcher if you have questions, concerns, or complaints about the research study, especially if you are experiencing medical problems.
If you have general research questions, concerns, or complaints about the research that we may be able to help resolve, or questions about your rights as a research subject, we encourage you to contact our office.
If you contact our office, every precaution will be taken to maintain your confidentiality. If you report a problem, we might need to reveal your name or other information about you in order to investigate the problem. A representative from our office will contact you before revealing information about you.
Resources on the Web
- UCI Medical Center Clinical Studies
provides a link to the clinical research studies being conducted by UCI College of Medicine Faculty members. - ClinicalTrials.gov
A service of the National Institutes of Health provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. It provides information about the clinical trial process at Understanding Clinical Trials. - Centerwatch
provides information about clinical research as well as clinical trial listings. - MedlinePlus
A service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health that provides information on over 650 diseases and conditions, on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials. - Medwatch
The Food and Drug Administration’s webpage that provides important and timely clinical information about safety issues involving medical products, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, biologics, medical and radiation-emitting devices, and special nutritional products (e.g., medical foods, dietary supplements and infant formulas). - Healthfinder
provides health information in both English and Spanish. - Pamphlet from the Office of Human Research Protections: Becoming a Research Volunteer: It's Your Decision
- Folleto de la Oficina para la Protección de Seres Humanos en Estudios de Investigación: Ser Voluntario en Estudios Clinicos: Es Su Decisión
- National Cancer Institute
provides information about all types of cancer, cancer treatment, coping with cancer and links to cancer clinical trials. - NIH Senior Health
The National Institutes of Health’s website provides aging-related health information. - FDA Kids Home Page
The Food and Drug Administration’s webpage designed for especially for children. - Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP)
provides potential clinical research participants with many facts and information about the clinical trial process, including information about subjects’ rights, benefits, and risks; including answers to key questions people have about research. The Center also includes a way for people to sign up if they’d like additional information, such as a quarterly update called "The Participant." - Entering a Clinical Trial: Is It Right for You?
An online video from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute that helps explain what clinical trials are and offer suggestions to help patients decide whether or not to enroll in a study. - Should I Enter a Clinical Trial? A Patient Reference Guide for Adults with a Serious or Life-Threatening Illness
a publication by America's Health Insurance Plans. - Medical Privacy - National Standards to Protect the Privacy of Personal Health Information
The Office for Civil Rights provides information about your health information privacy rights Under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Comments – please contact us directly or send an e-mail to irb@rgs.uci.edu
