3.7 Finder’s Fees and Recruitment Bonuses

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to describe the Organization’s requirements related to finder’s fees and recruitment bonuses.

2.0 Policy

HHS regulations at 45 CFR 46.116 and FDA regulations at 21 CFR 56.116 require minimization of the possibility of coercion or undue influence. It is the view of the Organization that payment of finder’s fees or recruitment bonuses to investigators or to any representative of the Organization may create the perception that subjects or potential subjects could be unduly influenced or coerced to participate (or continue participation). Therefore, it is the policy of the Organization that such payments are not permitted.

3.0 Definitions

• 3.1. Finder’s Fee: Payment made by an investigator or sponsor to an organization or individual (including non-research personnel or a research participant) for identifying and/or referring potential participants for research.
• 3.2. Recruitment Bonus: Payment, merchandise, or other gift or service offered by a sponsor as an incentive or reward to an organization, investigator, or investigator’s staff designed to accelerate recruitment that is tied to enrollment rate, timing, or numbers.

4.0 Finder’s Fees

• 4.1. Finder’s fees, which are paid to investigators, investigator’s staff or to any representative of the Organization, for referring prospective research subjects, are not permitted.
• 4.2. Finder’s fee which are paid to non-research personnel or to research subjects for referring additional subjects are generally not permitted. Under limited circumstances the IRB may approve the payment of small amounts if such payment is necessary to recruit a population of subjects who would potentially benefit from the research, but would otherwise be difficult to recruit.

5.0 Recruitment Bonuses

• 5.1. Recruitment bonuses which are tied to the enrollment of a set number of subjects or accelerated enrollment, are not permitted.

DOCUMENT HISTORY:

 Written: 12/28/2015 (Approved: 12/28/2015) - original author not recorded

 Revised: 1/26/2018 - revision not documented