Home | Center for Human Research Coordination

Connecting UD researchers with study participants

Welcome! The Center for Human Research Coordination helps recruit, screen and register research participants for studies underway across the University of Delaware. We also support UD researchers with secure data management of their studies involving human subjects.

On our site, visitors can explore all UD studies currently seeking participants, and UD researchers and collaborators can access the services and training we offer to their teams.

Working with an expert team

As a leading research university — in the top 3% nationally, the University of Delaware conducts hundreds of studies involving public participants each year, on topics ranging from stroke to how children learn vocabulary. The Center for Human Research Coordination staff has a wealth of experience working with research participants, as well as with UD researchers seeking expert training in human subjects data management.

Now open on the UD campus

Located at the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, the Center for Human Research Coordination is a member of UD’s vibrant network of research core facilities, providing UD’s colleges, research institutes and research centers with centralized services for advancing research and discovery.

The University of Delaware is a nationally classified research institution. Launched in 2021, the Center for Human Research Coordination (CHRC) is one of 17 core research facilities at UD, dedicated to supporting research occurring within each of the University’s colleges, research institutes and centers.

News / Events

Blue Hen Homecoming 5k

Oct 5, 2022

Researchers! This is a good opportunity to promote your IRB research study that needs participants. CHRC will have a table setup so join us in promoting UD Human Subject Research! https://www.udel.edu/faculty-staff/wellbeing/programs/homecoming-5k/

CHRC at Community Day 2022

Oct 4, 2022

CHRC was present at the CHS table during the Newark Community Day 2022 (Sept. 18)

What we do

The Center for Human Research Coordination (CHRC) helps to recruit, screen and register research participants for studies underway across the University of Delaware. If you are a UD researcher seeking assistance or a member of the public interested in participating in a UD study, we are here to assist you.

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Recruitment

We are canvassing the community to help recruit potential participants for all UD research studies. We represent all human subject research at UD and are happy to share your recruitment flyers! We also maintain the STAR recruitment monitors in the HSC lobby and PT clinic and the research study wall at STAR and the Tower. Add your study to our website for even more recruitment opportunities! We are working toward having our website as a one stop shop recruitment tool for all human subject research being done at UD.

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Study Coordination

Our experienced Research Coordinators assist faculty and their research teams with time-consuming study coordination tasks. Services include screening potential participants, scheduling lab appointments, lab space and lab equipment, text, email or call for appointment reminders, scheduling transportation and processing payments to participants.

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Data Management

CHRC offers a secure data management solution for human subject research through REDCap. REDCap is a secure web platform for building and managing online databases and surveys (more about REDCap Consortium)

CHRC manages the REDCap instance for University of Delaware. Our REDCap management includes everything related to REDCap: REDCap server backup, upgrade and maintenance, REDCap user support, and also building individual REDCap projects for researchers.

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Registries

CHRC is here to support ALL UD human subject registries! We can be part of your registry team to help with screening potential participants for entry into your specific registry. Our goal is to collaborate with UD registries, find the common threads and streamline the process for registries here at UD. Talk to us about adding your registry to our website to help you with recruitment into your specific registry!

Coming Soon!

Supporting research across UD

Collaboration across disciplines is a hallmark of research at UD and CHRC is leading the way. Utilizing the groundwork laid by Tom Buchanan and his team at the Delaware Rehabilitation Institute, CHRC is building upon their solid foundation resulting in 10,000+ research participants in their current database. More from the UD research community:

A Growing Need

According to Maria Palazuelos, director of research compliance, research with human subjects has been growing at UD, as evidenced by the volume, complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the submissions to the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). These projects have nearly tripled in the past decade, Palazuelos said, from about 800 submissions in 2011 to nearly 2,300 in 2021.

Benefits of the Center

Curtis Johnson, assistant professor of biomedical engineering (left), doesn’t need any convincing about the benefits of the new center. “Finding eligible participants is a lot of work, and that’s not our strongest suit, as engineers,” Johnson said. “They’ve handled all of the patient screening and scheduling. It’s not just time-saving; it’s the difference between being able to do the research or not. It’s been like night and day for us.”

People Helping People

As stroke survivor Chuck Dougherty knows, the ultimate goal of UD research studies involving people is to help people. So if more studies can be done, the benefits to the public are clear. With an ever-present smile, he said he “blames” his progress in stroke recovery on UD.

Leading the Way

The Center for Human Research Coordination (CHRC) is led by Director Karin Silbernagel, associate professor and associate chair of UD’s Department of Physical Therapy. The new center will help recruit, screen and register research participants for studies underway across the University. CHRC is staffed by experienced professionals dedicated to serving the needs of our users.

Meet Our Team