Join a research study

Join a research study

Make your mark on science

Many researchers at the Beckman Institute study how humans interact with the world. Volunteers are crucial for their research. You can get involved in a variety of ways.

 

As a bonus, you may have the chance to visit our spaces, get to know our researchers or be compensated for your time.

A researcher talks to a subject on a treadmill

  • Seeking mothers and infants for developmental study

    A mom and baby

    Participation lasts 2 to 3 weeks and consists of one 90-minute in-person visit at the Beckman Institute, one 60-minute virtual visit on Zoom, LittleBeats home recordings, and online parent questionnaires.

    During the in-person and virtual visits, we will videotape you and your child playing in different situations while wearing heart rate monitors. We can provide transportation or parking, as well as childcare for older siblings, if needed. In between the two visits, you will complete three daylong recordings at home using LittleBeats.

    LittleBeats is an infant wearable device developed by our team, which records heart rate, motion and audio. It is safe, non-invasive and easy to use. English- or Spanish-speaking mothers 18 years and older and children between 3 and 10 months with no known heart issues are eligible to participate.

    In appreciation of your time, families who complete all study parts will receive $190 in Amazon e-gift cards and a personalized baby book. If you are interested in participating, please fill out an interest form on our website (Get Involved – LittleBeats™), email us at ui-littlebeats@illinois.edu or call us at 217-244-2945.

  • Seeking adults with or without tinnitus

    A person wearing an EEG headband smiles at a researcher wearing headphones

    A research study is seeking participants to develop and validate new methods for diagnosing tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears. The goal of this study is to use brain wave recording to distinguish those who have tinnitus from those who do not.

    We are looking for healthy adults between the ages of 18-70 years with or without tinnitus who have normal hearing to mild hearing loss, normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no history of neurological or psychiatric illness. If you are unsure about your hearing, no worries —we will do a free hearing test. This study is being conducted by Fatima Husain of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    If interested, please contact the Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at 217-333-7561 or email tinnitus@illinois.edu. Individuals will be paid for their participation and will also be reimbursed for parking.

Join I-HELP

Two researchers, one behind a computer, talk to a research subject on a treadmill.Beckman labs are always looking for volunteers to participate in studies.
The Illinois Health and Engagement through the Lifespan Project, or I-HELP, is a group of people from the community who play an important role in science by working as research participants. Learn more about I-HELP. You can also email us, or call us at 217-300-3586.

 

Parking and travel information

Have questions about getting to the institute for your research appointment? Our directions and parking information can help!

Get to Beckman

Add a study

Are you a Beckman researcher who wants to add your study to this page?

Submit a study