STUDY PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES
The Study Recruitment Review Committee (SRRC) is sharing information below about opportunities for students, faculty and staff to participate in research. All of the studies below (ordered by close date) have been carefully reviewed and approved to recruit from the Queens College community.
Participation is entirely voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether you will choose to participate in a study. All questions or concerns about a particular study should be addressed to the Principal Investigator (PI) listed with the study.
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE STUDY
Russian Language Study
PI: Reid Vancelette, Graduate Student, CUNY Graduate Center
*Student participants must be between 18 and 50 years of age. Eligible participants include both native speakers of Russian and learners of Russian as a second language.
The purpose of this study is to explore how people understand and process the Russian language, comparing native speakers of Russian and learners of Russian. Participants will complete language tasks while their eye movements are recorded using a non-invasive eye-tracking device. These tasks involve listening to words and sentences in Russian and viewing images on a computer screen. The study takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Participants will receive compensation for their time.
Note: The study has 2 locations: Queens College, and the Graduate Center.
To participate, please contact Reid Vancelette.
Close date: 11/15/2025
REDISTRIBUTING RESOURCES in the QUEER ACADEMY
Redistributing Resources in the Queer Academy
PI: Matt Brim, PhD, CUNY CSI
*Participants must be age 21+ and teach Queer/Gender Studies at a CUNY college.
The purpose of this study is to to understand the connection between the material conditions in which Queer/Gender Studies scholars work and the scholarship they produce, with particular attention to the national/international contexts of that work. Participants will be interviewed to compile models of queer structures at interviewees’ institutions to address the possibilities for transnational redistributions of Queer Studies resources.
To participate, please contact the PI: Matt Brim, PhD
Close date: 11/30/2025
PERCEPTIONS of RESPONSIVENESS in FOREIGN and FAMILIAR LANGUAGES
Perceptions of Responsiveness in Foreign and Familiar Languages
PI: Imane Oudah, Undergraduate Student, Brooklyn College
*Student participants must be CUNY students 18+ or older, fluent in Spanish and must not speak or understand Hebrew.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relative contributions of verbal and nonverbal cues to perceptions of responsiveness. We are interested in whether listeners judge how responsive someone is (i.e., how much understanding, validation, and care they convey) based on the verbal or nonverbal cues that are used to respond to someone who shares a story of hurt feelings. The broader goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the role of nonverbal and verbal cues in shaping perceptions of interpersonal connection, particularly in cross-linguistic contexts. Participants will be randomly assigned to view one of nine short video clips. After viewing the video, participants will complete a survey assessing their perceptions of the responders, followed by a brief demographic questionnaire.
To participate, please complete our survey here.
Close date: 12/15/2025
OPTIMIZING STRENGTH TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS
Optimizing Strength Training in Older Adults
PI: Anoop T. Balachandran, PhD. FNES, Queens College
*Participants must be 65 years or older and not actively participating (> 1 day/week) in a structured weight training program.
The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of weight training in older adults. The research involves a 20-week supervised weight training program to test the effect of weight lifted on muscle mass, strength and function. Participants will receive compensation, free on campus parking, supervised training, and an individualized report about muscle mass, power, strength and physical performance.
To participate, please contact the PI at athozhuthungalba@qc.cuny.edu.
Close date: 12/25/2025
MENTAL HEALTH & PSYCHOSPIRITUALITY in QUEER FOLX
Mental Health and Psychospirituality in Queer Folx
PI: Tatianna Dugue, Graduate Student, CIty College
*Student participants must be CUNY students age 18+ and LGBTQIA+ identifying
The purpose of this study is investigate the queer spiritual experience and how an affirming psychospiritual space can foster the psychological benefits of religion/spirituality as well as identity integration between faith and sexuality. Participants will discuss their journey in integrating their spirituality and faith identities, as well as what resources have been or would be helpful for them. This research seeks to elucidate further the experiences of sexual and gender minorities and their religious/spiritual experiences in order to better support them in their mental health.
This is a two part study in which potential participants can either only fill out a 15-20 minute survey on their LGBT+ and spiritual experience in relation to their mental health or they can also participate in a 1.5 hr virtual focus group if selected from their survey responses. Each has separate compensation mechanisms.
To participate, please compete our survey here.
Close date: 12/30/2025
IMPACT of GRANDPARENTING on CHILDREN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
Impact of Grandparenting on Children of Immigrant Families
PI: Qiong Yu, PhD. PSYCH, Queens College
*Participants must be college students who are either immigrants themselves or from an immigrant family (with parents or grandparents born outside the United States).
The purpose of this study is to examine how grandparenting influences the development of children in immigrant families, with a focus on language, acculturation, and socioemotional adjustment. The survey will take less than 30 minutes to complete, and upon finishing, participants will have the option to enter a lottery in which forty winners will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
To participate, please take our survey here.
Close date: 12/31/2025
HEALTH, COMMUNITY, and MOTIVATION
Health, Community, and Motivation
PI: Dr. Jacob Shane, Brooklyn College
*Study participants must be aged 18-65.
The purpose of this research study is to understand university student’s beliefs related to motivation, health, identity, diversity, and well-being. The survey will take no longer than 1 hour to complete. To participate, please take our survey.
Close date: 5/25/2026
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS and MENTAL HEALTH
Physical Symptoms and Mental Health
PI: Dr. Laura Reigada, Brooklyn College
*Study participants must be CUNY students aged 18+
The purpose of this research study is to understand the experiences of emerging adults who may or may not have physical symptoms, with a focus on both risk and resilience, to better understand the relationship between physical symptoms and mental health outcomes. To participate, please take our survey. Questions may be sent to the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Laura Reigada.
Close date: 5/30/2026
STUDENT ACCESS to REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES
Student Access to Reproductive Health Services
PIs: Heidi Jones and Suzanne McDermott, CUNY SPH
*Study participants must be aged 16-27, live in New York State, and have a developmental disability.
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the outcomes of the updated STEPS2 Health Education intervention among adults in New York ages 16-27 who have developmental disabilities. All study participants will receive 6 one-hour weekly health education sessions and participate in 4 interviewer surveys; all conducted virtually over Zoom. Half of the participants will be randomized to receive the STEPS2 curriculum, and the other half will receive Steps To Your Health (STYH) a previously RCT tested physical exercise and nutrition intervention. The STEPS2 socialization and sexuality curriculum will be provided during one-on-one sessions between a Study Health Educator and the participant. The STYH curriculum, which focuses on healthy eating, exercise and stress management will be provided during small group sessions. The full study procedure will take approximately 12 months.
To participate, please take our survey. Questions may be sent to Project Manager, Abigail Lyons.
Close date: 9/1/2026
IMPACT of POLICE BRUTALITY among BLACK YOUNG ADULTS
Impact of Police Brutality among Black Young Adults
PI: Alexis Brown, Graduate student at City College
*Study participants must be CUNY students who (1) self-identify as Black/ African American/Afro-Caribbean/ African/ Afro-Latinx/ of African descent (2) live in NYC (3) are 18+years of age (4) read and understand English.
The purpose of this research study is to to enhance our understanding of the psychological repercussions of police brutality and inform targeted interventions to support the mental well-being of at-risk Black young adults. Study participants will complete a self-report questionnaire assessing race-based police force exposure, racial trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and coping strategies. Study findings will not only contribute to the existing psychological literature but also advocate for policies that prioritize mental health and social justice within Black communities. To participate, please take our survey.
Close date: 11/01/2026
IDENTIFICATION of OCD GENES in BLACK AMERICANS
Identification of OCD Genes in Black Americans
PI: Dorothy Grice, MD. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
*Study participants must self-identify as Black/ African American/ African descent.
The purpose of this study is 1) to recruit at least 1,250 Black OCD participants as well as family members and unrelated controls, and compare phenotypic findings and genetic architecture across ancestries; and, 2) to carry out genetic association studies for ultra-rare variants in the Black cohort and across ancestries. With this new research we will accelerate our overall objective, which is the identification of OCD genes across diverse populations, thereby facilitating our long-term goal of building the foundation from which therapeutic targets for OCD emerge.
Study participants will be interviewed. We have sites at Mount Sinai in NYC, however the study can be done completely remote over Zoom. We are looking both for people who identify as Black/African American who have OCD/are experiencing OCD symptoms (and their parents if possible), as well as people who identify as Black/African American who are not experiencing OCD symptoms (they would be a control for the study). Please contact dalia.marquez@mssm.edu if you have any questions about this study.
To participate, please take our recruitment survey.
Close date: 3/31/2029
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT
When you volunteer to participate in a research project, you have specific rights:
- You have the right to know the purpose of the research project.
- You have the right to know whether there are risks related to your participation in the study, e.g. the possibility of nausea, pain, anxiety or stress.
- You have the right to ask the Principal Investigator (PI) any questions you might have about the research project.
- You have the right to know whether your responses will be anonymous or kept confidential. When responses are kept confidential, the researcher knows the identity of a research subject, but takes steps to protect that identity from being discovered by others. When responses are anonymous, the identity of individual subjects is not known to researchers.
In addition, your promise to participate comes with certain responsibilities:
- Read the consent form before you sign it and ask the Principal Investigator (PI) any questions you may have. You should understand what will happen to you during the study before you agree to participate and carefully weigh the possible benefits and risks (if any) of being in the study.
- All participants have a responsibility to take the research study seriously and provide honest, thoughtful answers or comments.
- If you sign up for an in-person session, you are expected to attend the session for which you volunteered and arrive on time. A research session often requires a certain number of participants. While you may withdraw from a study without penalty, your failure to attend a scheduled session can make the participation of others less meaningful. If you must cancel, please do so in advance so that a replacement can be found.
Learn more about CUNY’s Human Research Protection Program Policies and Procedures