Research Participant Payment / Incentives

Generally, payments to research participants are made in one of two ways:

• Cash payments can be made using a "petty cash" procedure. Using the process and forms found on the controllers website by clicking here, TWU will issue a check to the researcher. In turn, the research will disburse the funds and document these disbursements using the procedures on the controllers website.

• Gift cards are often used as a method of providing research incentives to participants in a project. Generally, these gift cards are purchased using a TWU purchasing card (p-card). The purchase of gift cards using a TWU p-card is allowed only after the Gift Card Certification Form is completed and signed by both the principal investigator and the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs. A copy of the signed Gift Card Certification Form must be included with the transaction log sent to the Controller's Office for payment of the p-card invoice.  A Gift Card Distribution Log for the gift cards must be completed and submitted to the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs upon completion of the disbursement.
  
  Note that state funds CANNOT be used to purchase prizes for drawings. State funds may be used to pay each research subject participating in the study, but only if each participant receives the same incentive.