Participant Compensation in Clinical Research: How Much Is Too Much?
Determining appropriate compensation for clinical research participants involves more than asking whether a payment amount is too high.
Date: January 27, 2027
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Compensation decisions require careful consideration of fairness, voluntary consent, equitable access, participant burden, data integrity, and regulatory expectations. This live webinar will examine the ethical and regulatory considerations surrounding participant reimbursement, compensation, and incentives in clinical research. Participants will explore how payment amounts, structures, and delivery methods can influence enrollment, retention, participant reporting, and access to research opportunities.
Through practical case examples—including completion bonuses, gamified incentives, and compensation for time and burden—attendees will learn to identify potential concerns and evaluate compensation strategies using a fair, ethical, and participant-centered approach.
Upon completion of this continuing education program, participants should be able to:
- Identify the ethical and regulatory boundaries affecting trial participant compensation.
- Examine current debates related to trial participant compensation, including completion incentives, gamification, and compensation for risk.
- Apply ethical and regulatory principles to case-based compensation scenarios.
- Formulate a systematic approach to fair and ethical trial participant compensation.
Speaker:
Robert Romanchuk, CIP, BSHS
Chairperson, Regulatory Director
Univo IRB
Robert Romanchuk, CIP, is a regulatory affairs leader and IRB chair with over 25 years of experience in human research protections, clinical research operations, and medical device regulation. He currently serves as Director of Regulatory Affairs and IRB Chair at Univo IRB. Robert has held senior roles at Advarra, Schulman IRB, and Novant Health, where he developed clinical trial infrastructure, SOPs, and compliance programs. He is a frequent speaker and author on ethical and regulatory issues, including vulnerable populations, medical device trials, and decentralized clinical trials. His credentials include CIP, and regulatory affairs certification in medical devices, alongside numerous contributions to industry working groups and professional education.
Approved for 1.0 ACRP Contact Hours