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About the research panel
We already have many members taking part in our various experiments. These cover a wide range of topics; for example, we might ask you to remember words, or tell us what you can see on a screen. The only skill required is the ability to read and write well in English. Anyone over 16 is welcome; we need both men and women, particularly people who can attend between 9am and 6pm.
We work in a pleasant old house with modern extensions in Chaucer Road, a turning off Trumpington Road opposite Brooklands Avenue (see map). It is about 10 minutes by bicycle from the city centre; some buses, including the Trumpington Park & Ride, stop nearby. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the railway station.
This is the way the Research Panel runs: You can use our on-line system and choose which studies you might like to participate in, or sometimes we will telephone or email to ask if you are available to take part in a specific experiment. We don't expect everyone to be able to accept every time we ask and we can usually offer an alternative appointment. Most people are not usually asked to help us more than about 6 times a year.
Sometimes you may be asked if you are willing to take part in a "brain imaging" experiment, which involves having an MRI. The minimum age for this is 18. As with all our experiments you can, of course, choose whether or not to take part. Whatever your decision, you will still remain a valued member of our volunteer panel.
When you come in for experiments you will receive a minimum honorarium of £6 (more for scanning) if your visit lasts up to one hour. If you are asked for longer, you will receive an extra £1.50 for each quarter-hour, or part quarter-hour (again more for scanning). We do not pay you for any time you wait before the time of your appointment. To cover travelling expenses we allow fixed amounts of £2.50 if you live within the city boundary and £3.00 if you live outside. You can claim less than these amounts and any money saved will be devoted to research. It is probably not worth your while to join the Panel if we cannot contact you by telephone or e-mail, and if you work for the Medical Research Council we cannot pay you without this being declared for tax purposes.
The Medical Research Council sponsors our research. For us to make real scientific progress it is vital that researchers share their knowledge. This means that the results of our research need to be published in scientific journals, and the data we collect has to be made available to the scientific community. However, we will never publish or pass on any data that can be associated with any specific individual. Names will never be supplied to outside bodies without your written consent. Similarly names will not be passed on to researchers within the CBU who are not directly involved in the study that the data is originally collected for, unless we have your written consent. The provisions of the Data Protection Act cover all the information we keep. This ensures that all personal information will be kept secure.
Please apply for an account for our panel of Volunteers. You will hear from us as soon as we have an experiment, which needs your help. We look forward to having your help with our research.