Incentives for Human Subject Research: Gift Cards

This policy is designed to provide directions for faculty and staff intending to do IRB-approved human subject research that includes the provision of a gift-card participation incentive. This policy helps protect the confidentiality of research participants while seeking to keep Berea College in compliance with IRS taxability and reporting requirements and ensuring appropriate controls.

Any human subject research must be approved by the Berea College IRB.

The Primary Investigator (PI) of the research project must work with Jim Strand to coordinate the purchase of gift cards if that is the incentive that will be used. 

The PI must maintain a log of distributed gift cards and have the gift-card recipient’s sign that they have received the card (these records will be kept by the PI for seven years).

The PI will share the following information with Jim Strand, who will then provide this information to the Controller, Sara Clements, by December 10^th of each calendar year:

The PI will maintain strict control of gift cards (or gift codes) given and return unused gift cards (or gift codes) to Jim Strand within 30 days of the conclusion of the survey portion of the study.  Undistributed gift cards should be kept in a secure location.

Established 9/4/2021