Clinical trials depend on volunteers. Every medicine, vaccine, and medical device in use today was tested in people who chose to take part, and new treatments cannot reach patients without them. Yet most people are never asked: in a national US survey, only 9% of adults said they had ever been invited to take part in a clinical trial, and about half of those who were invited agreed (Health Information National Trends Survey). This guide explains who can volunteer, what to consider first, how you are protected, and the practical steps to find a study, apply, and know what to expect along the way.
Looking to volunteer for a clinical trial?
Search recruiting studies near you, check the basic criteria, and apply in about 5 minutes.
Why are clinical trials important?
Clinical trials show whether a new treatment is safe, whether it works better than existing options, and what dose to use, answers that cannot come from laboratory or animal studies alone. They also help find better ways to prevent, detect, and diagnose disease. Recruiting enough volunteers is one of the biggest challenges in research, and studies that cannot enroll enough people may be delayed or stopped before they can answer their questions.
Our guide explains why clinical trials are important in more detail.
How are studies approved for volunteer participation?
Before a study can invite volunteers, an independent ethics committee, called an institutional review board (IRB) in the US, must review and approve it. IRBs include scientists, doctors, and at least one member from outside science, and they check that the study's risks are reasonable and that volunteers will be properly informed and protected (FDA). If the study tests an investigational drug, the sponsor must also submit an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA, and the study can only begin if the FDA does not place it on hold, usually after a 30-day review.
Why people choose to volunteer in clinical trials
People volunteer for many reasons, and most have more than one.
Access to new treatments
For people with a condition, a trial can offer access to a treatment that is not yet available elsewhere, which matters most when standard options have not worked. There is no guarantee the new treatment will help, and some participants receive the standard treatment or a placebo instead.
Contributing to medical advancements
Every volunteer helps researchers understand a disease and its treatment a little better, which can improve care for future patients, sometimes including people in the volunteer's own family.
Personal motivations for volunteering
Some people take part out of interest in science, a wish to give back, or the sense of taking an active role in their own health. In a 2026 poll, 71% of US adults with chronic conditions said they would be likely to take part in a trial if given the opportunity (PAN Foundation, 2026).
Compensation
Some studies offer compensation for time and travel, and study related care is typically provided at no cost to participants. Compensation varies by trial and is always described during the informed consent process before you agree to anything.
Our guide explains how clinical trial compensation works.
Support and care
Participants are usually monitored closely by a dedicated research team, with regular check-ups and someone to contact with questions. Many people find this reassuring, and some value meeting others who live with the same condition.
Who can volunteer in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are not only for people who are ill. Both people with a condition and healthy people can volunteer, depending on what each study needs.
Eligibility criteria for volunteering in clinical trials
Every study sets its own eligibility criteria. Inclusion criteria describe who can take part, such as a specific diagnosis, stage of disease, or age range. Exclusion criteria describe who cannot, often because of other health conditions or medicines that could make participation unsafe or the results unclear. These rules protect volunteers and make the results reliable.
Our guide explains how eligibility criteria work.
Volunteering in studies for healthy volunteers
Healthy volunteers are needed for many kinds of research: early phase studies that test how a new medicine behaves in the body and what dose is safe, vaccine studies, and studies that compare people with and without a condition. Some early phase studies involve staying overnight or for several days at a research unit. Depending on the study, you may not be eligible if you smoke, use certain drugs, drink more than a set amount of alcohol, take particular medicines, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Our healthy volunteers page lists studies recruiting now.
Studies for healthy volunteers recruiting now. Vaccine studies are one of the most common ways healthy adults take part in research. Right now that includes pneumococcal vaccine studies for adults 18 to 75 who have never had a pneumococcal vaccine, and a study of a vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of mono, for adults 18 to 30.
What to consider before applying to volunteer in a clinical trial
Before you apply, it helps to think about the benefits and risks, the time involved, and any costs.
Our guide on the benefits and risks of clinical trials covers this in more detail.
Is it safe to volunteer for clinical trials?
No study is risk free, and the level of risk varies a great deal. A survey or a single blood draw carries very little risk, while a study of a new medicine may cause side effects, some of which may not yet be known. Every study is reviewed by an ethics committee and monitored while it runs, and the consent form explains the known risks before you agree.
Our guide explains whether clinical trials are safe.
What are the benefits and risks of volunteering in a clinical trial?
Possible benefits include access to a new treatment, close medical attention, study related care at no cost, and the chance to help others. Possible risks include side effects, a treatment that does not work for you, being assigned to a placebo or standard treatment group, and the time and inconvenience of study visits and tests.
How much does it cost to volunteer in a clinical trial?
A genuine clinical trial never charges you a fee to take part. The sponsor usually covers the investigational treatment and the tests and visits the study requires, while your routine medical care may still be billed to your insurance. In the US, Medicare covers routine costs in qualifying clinical trials, and many private plans must cover them too. Ask the study team which costs are covered and whether travel is reimbursed. Our guides explain insurance for clinical trials and what clinical trials cost participants.
How much of your time will the clinical trial take?
Some studies involve a single visit, while others last months or years, with regular visits, tests, and sometimes overnight stays. The study team can tell you how many visits are involved, how long each one takes, and whether any can be done remotely.
Our guide explains how long clinical trials take.
Clinical trial volunteer rights and safety
US regulations and ethical guidelines are in place to make sure your rights and safety come first throughout a study.
What protections exist for clinical trial volunteers?
Every study must be approved and overseen by an independent institutional review board (IRB). Trials of medicines and devices are also overseen by the FDA, and larger trials often have an independent data and safety monitoring board that reviews results as they come in.
Informed consent
Before you take part, the study team explains the study's purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and alternatives, and gives you a consent form to read. You can take it home, ask questions, and talk it over with your family or doctor. Signing it does not lock you in, and you should be told about any new information that might affect your decision to continue.
Our guide explains informed consent.
Safety monitoring
Researchers track your health throughout the study with regular check-ins and tests, and they must report serious side effects promptly.
Our guide explains how clinical trials are monitored.
Confidentiality
Your personal and medical information must be kept confidential, in line with privacy laws such as HIPAA where they apply, and study results are reported without information that identifies you.
Right to withdraw
You can leave a study at any time, for any reason, without penalty and without losing access to your regular medical care. It helps to tell the study team so they can make sure you stop safely.
Steps to take to become a clinical trial volunteer
Find a clinical trial
Start by searching for studies that match your condition, or studies for healthy volunteers, near where you live. On AllClinicalTrials.com you can search by condition and location and see the basic criteria for each study.
Review the eligibility criteria
Check the age range, diagnosis, and other requirements listed for each study. If something is unclear, ask your doctor or the study team; it is better to ask than to rule yourself out too early.
Contact the clinical trial or study
Apply through the study listing or contact the study team directly. Applying on AllClinicalTrials.com takes about 5 minutes. Not every study team responds quickly, so it is worth applying to more than one study and following up if you have not heard back after a week or two.
Go through informed consent
If the study looks like a match, the study team explains it in detail and goes through the consent form with you. You sign it before any screening tests take place.
Pass the screening process
At a screening visit, the team confirms you are eligible, usually through questions about your medical history and medicines, a physical exam, and tests such as blood work. Some people are found not to be eligible at this stage, which is a normal part of the process.
Preparing to volunteer in a clinical trial
Have realistic expectations
A study may not improve your condition, and you may not know which treatment you received until it ends. What it will do is add to knowledge that helps future patients.
Understand the study requirements
Make sure you know how many visits there are, what each involves, any rules about food, medicines, or activities, and what to do if you feel unwell between visits.
Talk to the study team
Write down your questions and bring them to your first conversation. Our list of questions to ask before participating is a good place to start.
What to expect during and after a clinical trial
Day-to-day expectations
Most studies include health checks at the start, during, and end, so you may see a medical team more often than usual. You may be asked to keep a diary of symptoms, take the study treatment as instructed, and report any side effects.
After the clinical trial ends
When the study ends, researchers analyze the results from all participants. Many studies share a summary of the results with participants, and in the US many trials must also post their results on ClinicalTrials.gov. You may be told which group you were in, and some studies offer continued access to the treatment through an extension study, although this is not guaranteed.
Our guide explains the phases of clinical trials.
Where to find a clinical trial or study
Hospitals, universities, and research centers run many studies and often list them on their websites. Your doctor may know of suitable studies, and patient advocacy groups for specific conditions often share information about trials. Trial search platforms let you search across many studies at once.
How can I find studies currently recruiting volunteers?
You can search studies that are recruiting now on AllClinicalTrials.com by condition and location, including studies for healthy volunteers. For a complete overview of what taking part involves, see our guide on what to know before participating in a clinical trial.
Frequently asked questions
How do I volunteer for a clinical trial? Search for studies that match your condition or that need healthy volunteers, check the eligibility criteria, and apply through the study listing. If the study looks like a match, the team explains it, goes through informed consent with you, and then confirms your eligibility at a screening visit.
Can healthy people volunteer for clinical trials? Yes. Many studies need healthy volunteers, including early phase studies, vaccine studies, and studies that compare people with and without a condition.
Do I have to pay to volunteer in a clinical trial? No. A genuine clinical trial never charges you to take part. The sponsor usually covers the study treatment and study-related tests, while routine care may be billed to your insurance.
Do clinical trial volunteers get paid? Some studies offer compensation for time and travel, and study related care is typically provided at no cost to participants. Compensation varies by trial and is always described during the informed consent process before you agree to anything.
Can I stop volunteering once I have started? Yes. You can leave a study at any time, for any reason, without losing access to your regular medical care.