Investigator Agreement

When a researcher who is not affiliated with an organization is asked to participate in a research project that involves human subjects, an investigator agreement is often drafted and signed by both parties. Templates for such agreements are available online.

Agreement

An investigator agreement is a contract between an organization and a researcher who is unaffiliated with the organization. The agreement outlines the rights and responsibilities of the researcher for the purposes of the research project for which he has been asked to provide his services. Investigator agreements are typically reserved for projects that involve human subjects.

Standards

In signing the agreement, researchers must consent to uphold a number of standards. These include the Belmont Report, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations on the protection of human subjects, and any relevant institutional policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects.

Templates

Investigator agreement templates are available for download on the web. For example, Docstoc.com offers a number of investigator agreement templates that can be tailored to any organization.

References

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Individual Investigator Agreement
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: Individual Investigator Agreement
• National Center for Computational Sciences: Principal Investigator Agreement
• Docstoc.com: Investigator Agreement