Finding out about opportunities to take part in research isn’t easy. Where do you go find out about studies you could take part in? Who should you contact? What should you expect if you take part in a study?
This post should help to answer some of these questions. Below are links to 2 online databases of research projects, where you can search for research happening in areas you are interested in (e.g. stroke, aphasia, fatigue etc.). I’ve also linked to some information about taking part in research to make sure you have everything you need to make a decision.
1. UK Clinical Trials Gateway: https://www.ukctg.nihr.ac.uk/home/
Your search will automatically show results for studies currently recruiting participants only. You can choose to also see studies that are complete/not recruiting participants using the trial status options on the left of the screen.
2. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home
This website lists studies happening around the world, so don’t forget to specify a country when you search!
The default search option is ‘all studies’ - if you only want to see studies that are (or will soon be) looking for people to take part you will need to select this option when you search.
The information on this website may be more technical than what you find on the UK Clinical Trials Gateway. Each study result should still contain a description written in plain English.
You should bear in mind that each study will have inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants that are specific to that study. To find out whether you are eligible to take part you should get in touch with the named contact for that study.
The Stroke Association has put together some information booklets about taking part in stroke research. You can find these on our website: https://www.stroke.org.uk/research/get-involved-research/take-part-research
The UK Clinical Trials Gateway website also has information about taking part in research – you can find this under the ‘Clinical Trials’ tab near the top of the page.
If you have any questions about taking part in research you can get in contact with me at research@stroke.org.uk
Please note the Stroke Association is not responsible for any studies listed on these websites that are not funded by us.