Getting Started with ResearchMatch.org

Owned by Madrid Poultney (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Apr 11, 2023 by Ursula Fastovsky
3 min read

Researchers may want to use this useful and free online tool to find and contact willing clinical research participants from an opt-in national registry.

Step-by-step guide

To gain access to ResearchMatch.org for recruitment (Recruitment Access):

  1. Obtain IRB approval for both the use of ResearchMatch.org as a recruitment method and the specific announcement that you intend to send.

    • This can be done either before or after you have gained Feasibility Access to ResearchMatch.org.

    • Template language and more information about this process is provided below.

  2. Create an account with ResearchMatch.org and immediately gain Feasibility Access.

    1. Visit the ResearchMatch.org Researchers welcome page and click "Resgister Now."

    2. Pick Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the drop-down menu and enter your Mount Sinai Health System affiliated email address.

      • Please note, your request will be automatically rejected if you do not use an approved institutional email address.

    3. Read and review the instructions and researcher acknowledgement form.

    4. Enter your contact and registration information.

  3. Once your use of ResearchMatch.org has been IRB approved, you may register your study/ies and submit them for approval.

    • Make sure you have evidence of the IRB approval handy to upload when prompted.

    • Use the the IRB Number (HSM) without any punctuation as the study number. For PPHS/IRB studies, it should  look like 0000000.

    • If you are not the Principal Investigator yourself, please inform your Principal Investigator/s that they will receive an email asking them to validate your access. They must follow the directions in this email to do so.

  4. Once your Principal Investigator (if applicable) and your ResearchMatch.org Institutional Liaison approve your request, you can return to the ResearchMatch.org Researchers page, sign in, and begin to search for and contact potential participants.



Feasibility access allows you to view aggregate data regarding the ResearchMatch population starting the day you complete the sign up process.

You may register for ResearchMatch feasibility access on Step 3 of the registration process. Please Note:  You may only use ResearchMatch feasibility access for general feasibility assessment (i.e. “how many potential subjects are out there”) and not for any kind of research activity without IRB approval. Remember to include your institutional email address when registering (e.g.: jane.doe@mssm.edu or jane.doe@mountsinai.org).  

Once you have registered for feasibility access, you will be able to add a study for recruitment access as a registered ResearchMatch researcher at any time. 

Recruitment access lets you actually contact potential participants through ResearchMatch’s secure system.  

***Please use the IRB Number (HSM), without the period, dashes, or other non-alphanumeric characters, to register your study with ResearchMatch.org. For example, if you use the Mount Sinai PPHS, it should look like 0000000. Contact your liaison, if you have any questions about how this number should be formatted.***

Before you can utilize recruitment access, the IRB must approve the use of ResearchMatch as one of your recruitment methods.   

  • If you have a protocol that has already been approved, adding ResearchMatch as a recruitment tool is typically considered a modification to previously approved research. You must fill out any forms that your institution requires, and revise any documents from your original submission that are changed by the modification (including your study specific announcement). 

  • If your protocol has yet to be submitted to the IRB for review and approval, please include the language attached below in your protocol under “Recruitment Methods” to add ResearchMatch as a recruitment tool, and include your study specific announcement.

--ResearchMatch Template Language for IRB Forms--

For the protocol:

ResearchMatch will be used as a method for identifying and contacting potential subjects. The study specific announcement is included with this submission.

For a modification:

I am requesting the following 2 approvals:

(1)   The use of ResearchMatch.org as a recruitment tool for this research study/protocol (“recruitment access”)

(2)   To send the attached study recruitment message to potential study volunteers through ResearchMatch.org. 

As an attachment to your submission:

The following study specific announcement will be used to make initial contact with potential study participants through ResearchMatch.org. 

 <Insert your study’s announcement here. Please note: ResearchMatch will ask you to confirm that this language has been IRB approved and that your direct study contact information has been removed (names/email/phone) before sending your study announcement through ResearchMatch to volunteers that appear to be a good match for your study. (Limit - 2000 characters) >

 --End of Template Language--

Please contact your IRB if you have any questions about these procedures.



Researcher FAQ
https://researchmatch.org./researchers/faq