Our studies need participants

At the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research we are conducting several scientific studies on different topics. We are always looking for volunteers for these studies, whose participation is remunerated with an appropriate expense allowance. Below you will find general information and instructions on how to take part in our studies in Cologne. Please read the following carefully and register online if you are interested in participating in the study. You will find the link to the online registration at the end of the general information and instructions on this page. We would be delighted if you would become a volunteer and support our scientific research.

Online registration (Studies take place in Cologne)

General information on our studies

  • Our studies differ in the type of examinations and in the length and number of examination appointments. At the beginning of each study, we send e-mail invitations to the suitable test persons, in which the study is presented and information is given about the type of examinations as well as the duration and frequency of the examination appointments. The test persons can then choose a suitable date online from a number of suggested dates. The examinations are carried out at our institute (see directions).
  • The type of examination varies from study to study. In some studies, for example, a measurement is taken in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner or one or more blood samples are taken. Many of our studies involve filling out different questionnaires.
  • The results of our studies and examinations are also stored and treated as confidentially as described in the section "Data processing and data protection".

Requirements for study participation

  • Test persons must be of legal age.
  • Test persons must not have any neurological or psychiatric illnesses - these include: Meningitis, cerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction or psychoses and depression.
  • Many of our studies use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For this reason, subjects who wish to take part in these studies must first attend an MRI information session lasting about one hour. We offer you several dates for this, which we would send you by email at a later date after your successful registration.
  • Test persons must agree that their personal data (contact and research-relevant data) may be stored in digital form and used in anonymised form for scientific evaluations and publications.

Compensation of expenses

For their participation in our studies, the volunteers receive an expense allowance. Depending on the study, this is between 10-15 euros per hour and is paid to the volunteers directly after their participation in the study at the institute. Unfortunately, a bank transfer is not possible.

Information on online registration

Registration takes place with first and last name, telephone number and e-mail address. In addition, the following information is required for the studies: Date of birth, handedness, mother tongue, German language skills and school qualification. The registration data will be recorded and stored by us, and will not be passed on to third parties. Further information on this can be found in the section "Data processing and data protection".

After your successful online registration, you will be added to our volunteer database. According to the selection criteria of our studies, we select the suitable participants for our respective studies from this volunteer database and write to you by e-mail.

Data processing and data protection

Within the scope of the study, your data (including data on gender and age) will only be made available to the evaluating researchers in pseudonymised form, i.e. without mentioning your name and only coded by a number. An assignment of the data to your person is only possible for a few staff members who are directly involved in the data collection. The data collected in the study will be recorded by an electronic data system and statistically analysed. After completion of the study, all data will be stored and archived in accordance with the currently valid regulations. You have the right to inspect your data collected during the study. If you discover any errors in your data, you have the right to have them corrected by the study director. In case of publication of study results, the confidentiality of your personal data is also guaranteed. Your data will be stored in a secure system for a period of 10 years and subsequently deleted, unless legal reasons require longer storage.

We would like to point out that no data intended for scientific evaluation is collected as part of the registration process.

Registration

If you have read all the instructions and would like to be a test person for our scientific studies in Cologne, you can register online here:

Online-Registration (Studies take place in Cologne)

If you still have any questions in principle about online registration or study participation, please contact:

Study Office

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