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Much of the research done at Stanford depends on ordinary people from nearby towns. Psychologists need adults to take decision tasks. Business school researchers need people to answer surveys about money and teamwork. Medical teams need patients with specific conditions and healthy volunteers to compare them with. Many of these studies pay. Some offer treatment you could not get otherwise. All of them are governed by rules on consent and safety that you should understand before you sign anything.
This guide points only to official Stanford listings and Stanford's own Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidance, checked in early November 2026. It is not medical advice. If you are a patient considering a clinical trial, talk to your doctor first.
Where Stanford lists studies
| Listing | What it covers | Who can join |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Trials at Stanford | Medical trials, with pediatric and healthy volunteer lists | Patients and healthy volunteers who meet each trial's criteria |
| Department of Psychology sign-up | Paid experiments on campus and online | Anyone eligible; no Stanford tie needed |
| GSB Behavioral Lab | Paid organizational and marketing studies | Adults 18+; online pool for non-affiliates |
| Stanford Medicine registries | Sign up once, get contacted about matching studies | Volunteers who register |
Clinical trials
Stanford Medicine's clinical trials site is the official starting point for medical studies. You can browse all trials, browse pediatric trials or browse trials accepting healthy volunteers. Open trials are defined as studies currently accepting participants. Cancer trials have their own site; Stanford says its Cancer Institute has more than 250 actively recruiting trials.
The site also points volunteers to several registries. Signing up puts you in a pool that researchers can contact when your profile fits:
- Stanford Research Registry
- Stanford StudyPages
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center registry
- Stanford WELL for Life
For a specific condition, Stanford's advice is to talk with your doctor, who can refer you to a study coordinator. If you need a physician first, our guide to finding a doctor explains local networks. Stanford's IRB also suggests clinicaltrials.gov for studies run elsewhere.
Stanford Medicine also keeps a "Research Participants Wanted" page with short postings from labs. In early November 2026 its newest entries dated from January 2026, so treat any posting there as a lead to confirm with the lab, not proof that a study is still enrolling.
Paid psychology studies
The Department of Psychology states it simply: "You do not have to be affiliated with Stanford University to participate in Psychology research." Most of its paid studies take place on campus and some run online. You create an account in the department's sign-up system, browse current studies and book open time slots. The department asks participants to sign up only for sessions they can attend and to cancel appointments they cannot make. Studies often involve computer tasks, questionnaires or short experiments. Some brain imaging studies are posted by individual labs with their own screening.
The GSB Behavioral Lab
The Graduate School of Business runs a Behavioral Lab at 655 Knight Way for organizational and marketing research. It says studies "typically include cash or gift card payments averaging $25 an hour" and that none involve physical exertion or medical procedures. You can take part in the lab or online.
How you sign up depends on your email address:
- Stanford community members with a stanford.edu address register on the lab's Sona Systems site and can see compensation before signing up.
- Everyone else can join the Sona Systems national participant pool, which is online only. The lab also recruits through Mechanical Turk and Survey Sampling International, but notes there is no way to search for Stanford studies on those sites.
The lab's eligibility rules: you must be 18 or older, hold only one Sona account, complete a prescreen form and never take the same study twice. Graduate students in psychology, organizational behavior or marketing cannot take part. Non-US citizens may join most studies. The lab sits in the Knight Management Center.
Informed consent: what you should be told
Stanford's IRB, which reviews research involving people, explains that a research study is not the same as treatment. It might include tests, medicines or devices you would not get as a patient. Before you agree, federal rules require informed consent. According to the IRB, you should be told:
- The purpose of the research.
- How long the study is expected to take.
- What will happen and which parts are experimental.
- Possible risks or discomforts.
- Possible benefits.
- Who to contact with questions about the study, your rights and research related injuries.
- That taking part is voluntary and you can quit at any time.
This usually comes in conversation with the researcher and in a written consent form. If the form is unclear, ask the researcher to explain it. Do not sign until you understand it.
The Experimental Subject's Bill of Rights
California law adds a layer for medical experiments. Under Health and Safety Code section 24172, participants must receive a copy of the Experimental Subject's Bill of Rights in a language they are fluent in. It covers your right to know the nature and purpose of the experiment, the procedures and drugs or devices involved, the expected risks and benefits, any alternatives and what treatment is available if complications arise. You also have the right to ask questions, to withdraw at any time without prejudice, to get a signed and dated copy of the consent form and to decide free of force, fraud, deceit, duress or undue influence.
Questions to ask before you join
- How do I qualify? What is the study trying to find out?
- How long will it last and how many visits will I make?
- What tests or exams are involved and how long does each take?
- What follow-up is there and what happens when it ends?
- How and when will I be paid, if at all?
Avoiding fake listings
Stanford's IRB notes that researchers also advertise through radio, newspapers and websites such as craigslist. That makes it easy for a scam to borrow Stanford's name. A few checks help:
- Confirm the study appears on a stanford.edu page or that the contact uses a stanford.edu address.
- Never pay to join a study. Real studies pay you, not the other way around.
- Do not share bank details or your Social Security number before you have a consent form in hand and understand why the study needs them.
- If something feels wrong, call the IRB's independent line at (866) 680-2906, which Stanford lists for questions, concerns or complaints about research.
Getting to your appointment
Most in-person studies take place on central campus or in the medical center. Weekday visitor parking is paid by zone through ParkMobile. The medical center has its own garages. Ask the study team whether they validate or reimburse parking, as some do. The free Marguerite shuttle runs weekdays from the Palo Alto Caltrain station to both main campus and the medical center. Our Stanford parking guide explains visitor zones and our hospital visitor guide covers the medical center garages.
If you would rather give time than take part in a study, read our guide to volunteering at Stanford.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find paid research studies at Stanford?
Start with Stanford's own listings. The Department of Psychology runs a sign-up system for paid studies that does not require a Stanford affiliation. The Graduate School of Business Behavioral Lab lists paid studies averaging $25 an hour. Clinical trials, including ones for healthy volunteers, are at clinicaltrials.stanford.edu.
Can healthy people join Stanford clinical trials?
Yes. Stanford's clinical trials site has a separate list of trials accepting healthy volunteers. It also points to registries such as the Stanford Research Registry, where volunteers can sign up to be contacted about studies that fit them.
Do I have to be affiliated with Stanford to join a study?
No. The Psychology Department says you do not have to be affiliated with Stanford to take part in its research. The GSB Behavioral Lab offers a separate online participant pool for people without a stanford.edu email address.
What should a Stanford consent form tell me?
Stanford's IRB says you should learn the purpose of the research, how long it lasts, what happens and which parts are experimental, the risks and benefits, who to contact and that you can quit at any time. For medical experiments, California law also requires a copy of the Experimental Subject's Bill of Rights.
Who do I call with a complaint about a Stanford study?
Stanford's IRB lists (866) 680-2906 to reach someone unaffiliated with the specific research for questions, concerns or complaints about research, research related injury or your rights as a participant.