Additional information can be found in the "Guidance on Incentives for Research or Survey Participants" document. You are legally obliged to comply with the guidance in this document.

Research compensation or incentives include any cash or non-cash payments (cash, gift cards, vouchers, food, promotional items, course credit, prize drawings, and other benefits) given to people participating in a study to compensate them for their time or to incentivize them to participate. Reimbursement of travel costs is not considered an incentive.

Incentives are allowed, but it is important that the incentive does not unduly influence or coerce participation. Incentives that are large relative to a person's resources can also encourage participants to lie about their research eligibility. Thus, compensation should be appropriate for the amount of time, effort, and inconvenience involved, but not so high that it pressures people to participate or lie about their eligibility.

Important Requirements if you use Incentives 

If you use incentives in your research, you must do the following:

Ethical Considerations

• Keep incentives minimal: $5-$10 per recipient is standard and amounts should not exceed $100/person. If more than $25/person, reach out to Jen Smithwick, Associate VP of Finance, at jsmithwick2024@coloradocollege.edu)
• Don't draw special attention to incentives in recruitment materials
• Never require participants to spend their own money to get an incentive (e.g., a discount coupon that would require the participant to spend their own money to receive a partial discount is not acceptable)
• Use the term "drawing" rather than "raffle" or "lottery" to clarify theres's no entry fee
• Contact the IRB Chair if you are a faculty member and wish to use course credit or extra credit as an incentive, as this practice comes with additional challenges

Consent Form Requirements

1. Include the following statement in the consent form and when making payments: "Please be aware, compensation for participation in research studies may be considered taxable income"
2. Include all relevant details about compensation/incentives (e.g., amounts, payment methods, any pro-rating of rewards if the participant withdraws partway through the research)
3. For drawings include date and location of drawing, odds of winning, and how winners are notified
4. Explain how personally identifiable information used to provide the incentive payment will be stored and secured and when it will be destroyed (e.g. To process your incentive payment, I am required to keep a record of [your name and/or email address]. This information will be stored [describe how stored - ideally separately from research data] and destroyed [specify timeframe])

Payment Procedures

Note, the preferred method of incentive payments is gift cards. Gift cards can be ordered by the Principal Investigator (PI) using P-Cards or using personal funds which will then be reimbursed 

1. Collect names and/or email addresses and evidence of amounts dispersed (e.g., email read receipts for a gift card or signed log to say received)
2. Store these records within your department (in a location accessible after you graduate)
3. When you/your supervisor submits an expense report for the purchase of gift cards (i.e., a PCard reconciliation or a cash advance form to Finance), you should submit a copy of the IRB Incentive Total Dollar Value Information Sheet. You do not need to provide Finance with any information about who received the gift cards. 

See "Guidance on Incentives for Research or Survey Participants" for full details.

For additional information about tax implications of incentives, please reach out to Jen Smithwick, Associate VP of Finance, at jsmithwick2024@coloradocollege.edu