Welcome to ICTR’s Recruitment and Retention Resource Center, where we provide tailored guidance, resources, and recommendations to investigators and study teams across UW. We are committed to helping you and your team succeed through all stages of the trial lifecycle. We offer free consultation services to aid with grant development, protocol planning, mid-enrollment troubleshooting, and much more.
Additionally, we collaborate with our ICTR & UW colleagues with recruitment & retention expertise, connections, and resources to avoid the need for multiple consultations. For additional recruitment & retention resource, please see our Resource Library below.
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Free Consult Services
Consults include assistance with:
- Identifying evidence-based approaches to recruitment, retention & engagement participants
- Assessing recruitment and retention methods & developing a recruitment plan
- Increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, & accessibility in your research
- Participant-facing materials & incorporating plain language into materials
- Engaging community and patient groups for planning and recruitment
- Navigating and connecting to local and institutional resources
Paid Study & Recruitment Material Service
Study Website Builder Service
- Create a study website using WiscWeb service.
- Showcase study overviews, activities, and researcher profiles.
Recruitment Materials and Flyer Service
- Craft eye-catching recruitment flyers.
- Highlight study benefits and eligibility.
- Reach a wide audience online and offline.
Recruitment & Retention Events
There are no upcoming events.
Resource Library
- Recruitment & Retention Plan Template
- General Recruitment & Retention Resources
- Recruitment Materials
- Study Website
- Social Media Recruitment
- Online Recruitment (Non-Social Media)
- Email Recruitment
- Community Engagement
- Patient Recruitment
- Sexual & Gender Minorities
- Indigenous/Native American Recruitment
- Older Adult Recruitment
- K-12 Recruitment
- Language
- Consenting
- Participant Registry Services
- Compensation
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- More Coming Soon!
RIC’s Recruitment & Retention Plan Template
The Recruitment Innovation Center created a comprehensive recruitment templates for recruitment, collaborator engagement, and risk assessment to help outline your strategy for engaging, enrolling, and retaining study participants.
RIC’s Community-Informed Participant Recruitment & Retention Plan Template
Engaging communities in research planning and implementation can enhance recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic communities that are historically excluded and underrepresented in clinical research. The Recruitment Innovation Center created the Community-Informed Recruitment Plan Template that can be used to help research teams achieve recruitment and retention goals of historically excluded and underrepresented racial and ethnic communities.
This paper describes the process used to design the Community-Informed Participant Recruitment & Retention Plan Template (above). See tables for the Community Engagement Studio’s recommendations and ranking of recommendations to improve recruitment and retention of historically excluded and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
The “points to consider” are meant to serve as a resource as teams plan a clinical research study or grant application. These “points” outline common issues that can impact clinical recruitment and retention, and where applicable, strategies are suggested to address these issues.
ICTR’s Recruitment Strategies for Clinical Trials Workshop (2023)
This workshop provides strategies and best practices for recruiting, engaging, and retaining diverse populations in clinical trials. Our speakers discuss data-driven recruitment methods available at UW, practical strategies to increase recruitment and retention of underincluded populations, and how to plan for recruitment and communication in clinical trials.
RIC’s Recruitment & Retention Material Content & Design Toolkit
This toolkit was created by the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) in collaboration with the RIC Community Advisory Board and includes guidelines, templates, examples, and resources centered around our partners in research-study participants. The toolkit has an intentional focus on creating a combination of materials that promote diversity and inclusion to authentically reach potential participants.
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use Canva and their templates to create recruitment social media posts, flyers, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more. Opt for the paid version for additional templates and graphics.
UW Tips for Creating Branded Designs in Canva
Learn how to access and upload UW brand colors, fonts, logos, campus photo libraries, and graphics to Canva for your study and participant-facing materials.
This study website toolkit is designed to help researchers/study teams learn about some of the benefits of having a study website and will provide a basic overview of what to consider before and during the process of designing and developing a website.
TIC’s Developing a Clinical Trial Informational Video
The Trial Innovation Centers created a practical guide for developing clinical trial informational videos.
WiscWeb is a platform for creating and maintaining a UW-Madison branded website. Sites using WiscWeb are built with the UW Theme and hosted in the cloud for fast performance and high availability. Build out your site in private mode, then schedule an official launch when the site is ready to be public. Their team is available to help you if you get stuck along the way.
University Research Email Service
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Research Email Service can send research recruitment messages on your behalf to general groups on campus, including students, faculty/staff, or your own list of email addresses. You can select from listservs including all current UW–Madison employees or all current UW–Madison students, and filterable on age and gender.
Wisconsin Network for Research Support (WINRS)
WINRS aims to enhance health research reach and relevance while reducing inequities. They provide consultation services for all research stages, including community engagement strategies and advisory board facilitation. They connect researchers with community advisors like Community Advisors for Research Design and Strategies (CARDS) and Board of Older Adult Advisors(BOAA). They offer a free initial consultation to explore partnership opportunities and provide assistance with meeting planning, budgeting, and engagement activities.
Just Research (Workshops & Seminars)
Just Research is a new UW program for researchers and research staff to learn skills to promote research equity and diversity in study participation. Created from a decade of experience with community engagement, inclusive research practices, and the Building Trust initiative, Just Research is a partnership between the Collaborative Center for Health Equity (CCHE) and the Milwaukee-based Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships (CCE). See their website for upcoming workshops and seminars, along with recordings of past seminar.
In It Together: Community-Based Research Guidelines for Communities and Higher Education
This toolkit, prepared originally in 2007 and updated in 2021 by The Community Research Collaborative, offers advice for both community-based and campus-based people who wish to form partnerships for collaborative, community-based research (CBR).
Community Engagement Principles & Recommendation
Elevated Chicago presents a set of Community Engagement Principles & Recommendations aimed at improving meaningful participation in decision-making processes regarding the built environment. Through advocating for dedicated budget lines, setting minimum engagement percentages, and addressing recurring engagement patterns, they seek to foster proactive, inclusive, and impactful community involvement in Chicago’s development initiatives.
SC CTSI’s Resource for Integrating Community Voices into a Research Study
This resource, prepared by the Southern California’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, outlines the importance of community engagement in translating clinical practices and innovations into community settings, with a focus on involving diverse stakeholders such as academic health centers, community organizations, clinics, and residents. It provides guidance on establishing and maintaining Community Advisory Boards (CABs) for research studies, emphasizing the collaborative process of involving community members in all stages of research to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
How to Approach Recruiting and Retaining Patient Stakeholders: An Engagement Guide (HARPS)
HARPS, an Engagement Guide developed by WINRS, assists health sciences researchers in effectively engaging patient stakeholders in projects, such as patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), through a fillable roadmap workbook, workshop videos, and supplementary materials. Patient stakeholders, including those from underrepresented groups, are individuals who use health care services or participate in health research, providing valuable insights across all stages of a research project, from identifying recruitment barriers to interpreting study findings.
Recruitment Core (EHR Recruitment)
The SMPH Recruitment Core is a collaboration between the SMPH Office of Informatics and Information Technology, the UW Clinical Trials Institute, and UW Health Information Services. They utilize data and technology, including electronic health records, to optimize clinical research recruitment efforts using the following services:
- Feasibility Counts
- Candidate Recruitment Lists
- MyChart Recruitment Invitations
- Real-time Recruitment Alerts
- Other Health Link Builds
Note: Not all Recruitment Core services are available to faculty outside of the UW-Madison Health Care Component. If you’d like to learn more, please request a consult from our intake form.
UW CTI’s MyChart & Research: Recruitment & More (2024)
UW’s Clinicals Trial Institute presents on the MyChart platform and how it can be utilized to identify and recruit potential clinical trial participants at UW–Madison.
RIC’s Referring Providers: An Outreach Guide
The Recruitment Innovation Center created a how to guide on normalizing clinical trials in your community and encourage provider referrals.
The Clinical Science Center (CSC) has LCD screens, located in University Hospital and UW Health clinics, that can displaying flyers and other message. For LCD screen requests at the CSC, please click here (UW Health credentials required).
TIN & NU’s Strategies for recruitment and retention of sexual and gender minorities in research
This presentation will cover the CAN-DO-IT model (Macapagal et al, 2020) as applied to recruitment and retention of sexual and gender minorities into research, with a focus on community-based and social media/online recruitment. Participants should take away different concrete strategies that they can apply to their clinical research to diversify recruitment and retention and increase representation of sexual and gender minorities, but the strategies should apply to many different types of populations.
This flexible framework consists of 7 iterative steps based on work by Northwestern’s team and others: conceptualize scope of recruitment campaign, acquire necessary expertise, navigate online platforms, develop advertisements, optimize recruitment-to-enrollment workflow, implement advertising campaign, and track performance of campaigns and respond accordingly.
The Native American Center for Health Professions (NACHP)
UW Tribal Relations—Within the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Office of University Relations, and in partnership with the Division of Extension, the Office of Tribal Relations works to foster strong ties between the 12 First Nations of Wisconsin and the University.
NACHP Tribal Engagement Office—Located within the Oneida Community Health Center, the Tribal Engagement Office (TEO) leads efforts for tribal clinic rotations, tribal community visits, programming in tribal communities, youth outreach across the state and tribal-academic partnerships.
NACHP Tribal Partners─NACHP builds new partnerships and sustains current relationships with tribal communities and entities across Wisconsin.
NACHP Distinguished Lecture Series
The Native American Center for Health Professions (NACHP) sponsors a Distinguished Lecture Series focusing on issues affecting Native health. They hosts three free public lectures per year and are available in both in-person and virtual formats. See their website for upcoming lectures, or view their archive for past lectures.
The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is working to help further scientific research in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. They also make their data and resources available to investigators who are approved through the electronic Resource Request Application. Resources consist of Human Subject Data, Wisconsin ADRC Participants & Caregivers, and Stored Biological Samples. They also offer a variety of services, including genotyping, neuroimaging, and more!
To increase health researchers’ engagement of older people, CARE coordinates two community advisory boards, called Boards of Older Adult Advisors (BOAAs). BOAA meetings are co-facilitated by CARE and the Wisconsin Network for Research Support. Madison BOAA members predominantly identify as Black, with diverse personal and professional backgrounds. Rural BOAA members all identify as white, and include military veterans, farmers, and residents of under-resourced communities. Health researchers meet with one or both BOAAs to get their input throughout the research process, from study design to recruiting materials to data analysis to dissemination strategies.
UW’s School of Education Research Resources
More coming soon!
The Madison Metropolitan School District
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) accepts external research requests, which must go through the External Research Committee (ERC). All research projects involving MMSD require ERC review to protect participants. For proposal submission guidance, researchers can contact the Research & Innovation Department. Learn more about the IRB’s Guidance on Research in K-12 Settings.
Peachjar is a digital flyer platform that allows researchers to reach parents for study recruitment through school-approved emails and web flyerboards. It helps increase parent engagement with interactive content and call-to-action buttons, and provides metrics to track the effectiveness of the flyers. Note: This is a fee-for service resource.
Inclusive Language
OHSU’s Inclusive Language Guide
The OHSU Inclusive Language Guide serves as a resource for promoting respectful and affirming communication by providing guidance on inclusive language use concerning race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. It reflects a commitment to creating a welcoming environment that recognizes and values the diversity of individuals, contributing to the institution’s efforts in fostering inclusivity and combating systemic biases.
CDC’s Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups & Communities
The CDC’s Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups and Communities offers preferred terms for various population groups, aiming to promote inclusivity and avoid stigmatization. It covers areas such as corrections, disability, substance use, healthcare access, homelessness, socioeconomic status, mental health, immigration, older adults, risk groups, race/ethnicity, rural communities, and sexual orientation/gender identity. These terms are suggested to be used thoughtfully and reflectively, considering the preferences and perspectives of the communities being addressed.
Plain Language
UM’s Plain Language Medical Dictionary
This dictionary provides an alphabetical list of plain and preferred language alternatives for use in research, promoting inclusivity and sensitivity in communication.
PHCC’s Plain Language for Public-Health
Using plain language in research is essential because it ensures that information is accessible, understandable, and useful to a diverse audience. This resource guides researchers in best practices in using plain language- by communicating clearly and concisely, researchers can facilitate comprehension, promote health literacy, and build trust with their audience, ultimately advancing public health initiatives.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers Plain Language training to faculty and staff, consisting of both in-person workshops and a 4-week online course. Participants can choose to attend introductory classes or a sequential series covering word choice, grammar, content organization, and formatting. Completion of the workshops or online training earns participants a Plain Language certificate, enhancing communication skills across various positions and facilitating clearer message delivery.
This template aims to aid study teams in crafting combined consent and research authorization forms for studies with physical risks to subjects, providing model language in black text and instructions in red for customization. Blue text is to be included if the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies, while other colored text is for study-specific information. The formatting should be retained for readability, including font sizes and spacing, with tables and illustrations added as necessary. Before IRB submission, remove all instructions and color, ensuring all text is black, and refer to additional guidance for formatting suggestions and VA-specific research.
Learn how to use REDCap to create an e-consent for your clinical trial. Additionally, you can learn more about Form Versioning and Formatting your e-consent.
Research Match is a nonprofit program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that connects volunteers interested in research studies with researchers from top medical centers across the U.S., facilitating impactful health research.
StudyFinder® is a recruitment tool for clinical trials conducted at UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. This site includes both oncology and non-oncology clinical trials.
StudyFinder® displays data in a way that is intuitive and user-friendly for the public. Currently, in order to post a study on StudyFinder® the study must be listed in OnCore and have a ClinicalTrials.gov number.
For information about how to post studies on StudyFinder®, please see: OnCore Knowledgebase
TIN & Emory’s Paying Participants in Research: Time to Move Forward (2024)
Hosted by the Trial Innovation Network, the webinar “Paying Participants in Research: Time to Move Forward,” Neal Dickert, MD, PhD, from Emory University School of Medicine and the Georgia CTSA, discusses the ethical, practical, and regulatory considerations of compensating research participants.
The recruitment guidelines outlined in the University of Wisconsin’s IRB Investigator Manual emphasize the importance of equitable participant selection, confidentiality protection, and IRB approval for all recruitment methods, including initial contact, email, clinical, MyChart, and social media, while also prohibiting certain practices like finder’s fees and emphasizing security measures for email and text communications.
IRB’s Preparing Supporting Documents
This page offers guidance for University of Wisconsin researchers on preparing essential documents such as consent forms, HIPAA authorization forms, recruitment materials, and other subject-facing materials required for IRB review. It provides detailed instructions on writing consent documents and HIPAA authorization forms, along with support for preparing recruitment materials and other subject-facing documents that may or may not require IRB review.
Appendix B of the Investigator Manual offers supplementary resources for University of Wisconsin researchers, focusing on recruitment strategies with detailed guidance on recruitment elements and scripts. It covers essential components to incorporate into recruitment letters, provides a basic introductory telephone script, outlines a script for eligibility screening, and offers guidance on retaining identifiable information for future purposes.
We are continuing to update the Resource Library. Please check back for additional resources.
General
Pew Research Center: American’s Social Media Use
To better plan for social media recruitment, take a look at the Pew Research Center’s recent findings on social media use by app, age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, education level, political association, and rural-urban classification.
RIC’s Social Media Outreach & Recruitment Toolkit
This toolkit was developed to help researchers and teams learn about the benefits of social media and provides guidance on using social media to recruit for research studies.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
TIN & OSU’s Social Media Recruitment with Meta Restrictions Webinar (2023)
In January 2021, Facebook (now Meta) changed their privacy policy, making it more difficult to target ads to people based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious affinity, or anything that would be protected under HIPAA (i.e., cancer). This privacy update made targeted recruiting for clinical trials more difficult. During this Trial Innovation Network presentation, the presenter from the Ohio State University will explain how to build a social media ad for recruitment while also focusing on workarounds of Meta restrictions.
UConn’s Levering Social Media to Recruit Research Study Participants Webinar (2020)
This University of Connecticut webinar presented strategies for successful recruitment using social media, including optimizing your efforts on different platforms and identifying and managing fraudulent research participants.
MCRI’s Facebook.com Advertisements to Recruit a Farming Population for an Online Research Study: Lessons Learned (2023)
Presented at an ICTR Clinical Trial Community of Practice webinar, the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute study team explains how they utilized Facebook Ads to recruit the farming population for their study. Learn how the team created their advertisements and marketing plan, moderated comments, evaluated performance, and more.