Advancing health research together
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REACH BC is an online platform that connects participants with research opportunities and helps researchers recruit for studies and clinical trials across the province.
We are an initiative of Clinical Trials British Columbia. We are grateful for funding and support from Michael Smith Health Research BC and the BC SUPPORT Unit, which is funded under Canada’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR).
Choose your path
REACH BC is for everyone — whether you're a member of the public interested in participating in health research or a researcher looking to recruit participants for your studies and clinical trials. Choose the path below that best matches what you're looking for:
I want to...
All kinds of people can join research studies. People with or without medical conditions can volunteer to participate in research in many ways.
We make it easier for you to recruit for your studies and clinical trials, including participants and patient partners. Our platform reaches people across the province, including all health authorities and rural BC.
How it works
Ready to make a difference? Learn how our platform connects research teams with a dedicated community of volunteers across BC to streamline research and drive new discoveries.
For volunteers
Tell us about yourself
Start by answering a few simple questions – who you are, your health research interests, and what’s important to you. It's free and anyone 16+ in BC can join!
Get matched with research opportunities
Once matched, you'll receive a notification about relevant opportunities. If you’re interested or have questions, you can express interest to the study or connect with the research team.
Participate in the study
Before choosing to participate, you'll be put in touch with the researcher to ask any questions you might have. You can also browse the database to find other studies you might be interested in.
For researchers
Add your study to REACH BC
Submit a posting for your opportunity. We’ll find relevant matches and make it easy for people to find your study on our study directory.
See your volunteer matches
We’ll find volunteers who match your eligibility criteria and notify them about your study. If they’re interested, they can reach out to you to express interest or ask questions. You’ll receive a list of interested volunteers and contact details.
Connect with interested volunteers
If a volunteer is interested, you can get in touch to coordinate next steps, including screening and enrollment, prior to starting the study.
Have questions about participating in research?
Explore answers to common questions about joining, research opportunities, privacy, and what to expect.
Stories from our community
"It's fun! You're interacting with the people who are really dedicated to what they're looking for. They're really receptive to you and they'll answer the questions you have."
"My wife went through breast cancer ... but the reason she is in remission is because of previous generations doing what I'm doing, contributing to medical research".
"It doesn't take a lot of effort on your part. It's easy to do and you have that warm fuzzy feeling that you're helping other people."
"I signed up and filled out demographic info and health issues, in order for the platform to match me with opportunities that are potentially of interest. It was quick and easy way to scan research projects with details to help me decide what is involved."
Ready to make an impact?
Sign up as a volunteer today and REACH BC will notify you when you're matched with exciting research opportunities.
We partner with research institutions, industry sponsors, and patient organizations to support research engagement and recruitment across the province.
Looking for recruitment support? Our platform helps you reach people interested in participating in research and provides tools and resources to support your recruitment. Create your researcher profile today!
Interested in a broader collaboration? Get in touch with our team to explore how we can work together.
Impact and success stories
REACH BC played a key role in recruiting participants for early-phase clinical trials at the Providence Health Care’s new Phase 1 Clinical Trials Unit.
Through awareness-building and trial promotion, we helped meet study recruitment goals and connect people with opportunities to participate in local trials for new therapeutics.
REACH BC partnered with Genome BC’s Health Metadata Commons to link research results across two provincial platforms.
This new feature allows researchers to share their research results across both platforms, making it easier for researchers and knowledge users to discover related studies and access additional research data.
REACH BC supported the recruitment of healthy and diabetic volunteers for the Montbretin A safety study. Hear from the clinical research unit team:
"Most participants for our Phase 1 study were recruited through REACH BC. The platform was straightforward for our team and participants to use, which made for a smooth recruitment process and saved our team a lot of time. We also found that people who reached out via REACH BC tended to be responsive, which made a big difference for a Phase 1 trial that can otherwise be harder for people to find."
Learn about our impact
Explore our latest Impact Report for a deep dive into our recruitment milestones, participant reach, and community growth.
