Privacy Statement

This Privacy Statement explains how ResearchMatch aims to protect and respect your privacy. Please check this page on a regular basis for any updates to the Privacy Statement.

• Web Security
• ResearchMatch is a secure, central database that stores information about - people who may want to volunteer in research, now or in the future. All ResearchMatch information sent between the web server and Volunteer’s browser will be made into a code (encrypted) using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protection.
• Collected Data
• So ResearchMatch can be improved for you and other users, ResearchMatch may look at some of the information below:
• Web Data
• ResearchMatch may collect information that tracks how visitors use this website, the date and time of a visit, the pages accessed on the site, and the web address that led them to ResearchMatch. This information will be anonymous, which means it will not have your name attached to it.
• ResearchMatch Volunteer Data
• The information that you enter when filling out the web form to become a ResearchMatch Volunteer will only be used for the ways stated in the Volunteer Agreement.
• Any Volunteer Data that a Volunteer has authorized ResearchMatch to release to any researchers or studies is no longer controlled by ResearchMatch.
• ResearchMatch hopes to learn how well this tool connects volunteers with research studies. Because of this, ResearchMatch may collect information from researchers about your status in studies that you are matched with through ResearchMatch. ResearchMatch will only use this information in a way that keeps you from being identified.
• Research studies may be done on the ResearchMatch registry. If this type of research is done, ResearchMatch Volunteers will not be able to be identified. ResearchMatch will try and post any known findings from studies that may involve ResearchMatch on the website.
• Information Sharing
• Information on your ResearchMatch Volunteer profile will only be used for the ways described in the Volunteer Agreement.
• If you allow your contact information to be released to a specific researcher, ResearchMatch is no longer be in charge of monitoring how your contact information is used with that specific researcher.
• To meet federal or state laws, your profile information may be reviewed. Those who review this information may be staff from the United States Office for Human Research Protections and the Institutional Review Boards at participating institutions. These persons or groups may not be legally required to follow the rules listed here and in the Volunteer Agreement, so they may release your information. All reasonable efforts will be made to keep your personal information private and secure.
• The information you enter may be kept and used in the future unless you choose to delete your profile from ResearchMatch. If you delete your profile, all of the information tied to you will be removed from the ResearchMatch database.
• ResearchMatch will not sell, lease or rent any of your information to others.
• Oversight
• ResearchMatch as a recruitment tool is overseen by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Any questions about this process may be sent to ResearchMatch at info@researchmatch.org or by contacting ResearchMatch through the Contact Page.

Thank you for reading the ResearchMatch Privacy Statement.

Date of IRB Approval: 8/20/2024 | Date of IRB Expiration: 8/19/2025