All Penn State research studies that are currently recruiting participants are now searchable at Studyfinder, an online database that connects interested volunteers with participation opportunities.
Studies conducted by Penn State researchers can include surveys, clinical trials, interviews and other types of studies. While some studies seek participants on a purely volunteer basis, many offer compensation. Visitors to studyfinder.psu.edu can browse by topic or search by keyword to discover available studies at all Penn State locations, including University Park, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/Penn State College of Medicine, the College of Health and Human Development, and the Commonwealth campuses.
“The life-changing work of our researchers depends greatly on the participation of our volunteers, and we are pleased that the Clinical and Translational Science Institute is now streamlining all of these opportunities into a single easy-to-use site,” said Penn State Vice President for Research Neil Sharkey. “Volunteering for a study not only offers the public a chance to become a part of the research enterprise at Penn State, but it also improves the quality of life for our friends and neighbors by helping us discover the next technological, social or medical breakthrough.”
The new Studyfinder website replaces the Volunteer for a Research Study portion of the University’s Vice President for Research website, where interested volunteers visited in the past.
Studyfinder is funded by Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, a cross-campus National Institutes of Health grant designed to accelerate scientific discoveries found in the laboratory into public health improvements. The website has been in use at Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine for the past year.