Table 1.

Recommendations for minimizing the impact of transportation, childcare, lodging, and meals as “logistical barriers” to participant research engagement

Level	Recommendations
1. Funding agencies	a) Consider requiring research proposals to outline plans (e.g., within the recruitment and retention section of NIH grant applications) and associated estimated expenses for overcoming logistical barriers, with budgets and strategies tailored to the needs of each study and local circumstances; such plans can help ensure consistency and equitability of supports across participants and study sites, and identification of study-specific “logistical barriers” should be part of the study planning and budgeting processes.
	b) Consider requiring involvement in research of appropriate stakeholders as advisors and partners to increase the likelihood of tailoring the research protocols to account for the needs of the study population.
2. Research institutions	a) Have policies in place regarding research-related transportation, childcare, lodging, and meals; such policies are critical for safe, equitable research conduct and access.
	b) For research-related transportation, these policies should outline personal injury and liability coverage details to ensure that research personnel or approved volunteers do not (unknowingly) expose themselves and the study to the risks of personal injury/liability-related costs, for example, when driving research participants, especially when participant transportation requires providing and/or installing car seats for children.
	c) Regarding childcare, these policies should specify who can offer childcare support, and the way this support can be provided, following appropriate laws/regulations; the liability coverage should be clarified upfront for the study personnel or volunteers who assist with childcare. Institutions can further support child safety by offering or facilitating “certificate programsʼʼ specifically designed for individuals interacting with children in research settings.
	d) Consider establishing institutional-level arrangements / agreements with service providers (e.g., taxi, rideshare, car rental companies, hotels, restaurants, childcare centers, or providers) to reduce burden otherwise placed on individual research teams, and promote participant/staff safety, and institutional-level regulatory compliance.
	e) Support a diverse menu of reimbursement options to research participants (such as gift cards from different vendors, checks, cash, or debit cards, e.g., ClinCard) and offering upfront (rather than retrospective) reimbursements to reduce the risk of unintentional discrimination against and deterrence of certain populations from research engagement; for example, the need for providing a social security number or detailed personal information, proficiency with/access to online transactions, or the need to pay first then be reimbursed can negatively affect participation by groups historically underrepresented in research.
	f) Consider providing research space tailored to child, family, and community needs (e.g., child/family-friendly research room; additional room appropriate for child play; private space for breastfeeding) in order to promote equitable research engagement.
3. Research teams	a) Ensure the approach for addressing logistical barriers is consistent with the institutional/local and funding agency policies and regulations, and IRB-approved.
	b) Offer an upfront coverage (from the research funds) of expenses related to logistical barriers, rather than requesting participants to pay out-of-pocket first, before providing a retrospective reimbursement; not all participants/families can afford upfront expenses.
	c) Offer assistance with transportation, childcare, lodging, or snack/meal to all (prospective and current) participants, especially during in-person study visits. Training of the research staff in universally-offering these services and conveying related messages in a non-judgmental way is vital; scripting of such communication and trauma-informed training can be useful. This universal approach may increase the study cost in the short term, but the benefit to the rigor of the scientific work merits this investment; these expenses, covered from research funds, should be carefully monitored and inform future research considerations. The universal assistance approach can help “normalize” the use of support services, and reduce stigmatization and stereotyping of certain groups of participants, helping counter the negative perspective many community members from historically underrepresented groups may have of researchers and research studies. In addition, many individuals do not feel comfortable asking for help and would rather miss a study visit than ask directly for assistance.
	d) When hiring research personnel, studies should convey upfront if there is a need for staff’s availability during nontraditional work hours in order to meet participant scheduling needs, and consider equitable compensation for the variability and unpredictability of the study personnel schedules that the study might require.
	e) Hiring a study navigator (e.g., recovery peer support specialist or other support professional with lived experience relevant to the study population) as a research team member could be beneficial for addressing participant needs and increasing recruitment and retention as some participants may be more open and comfortable with “peers” than the “traditional” research staff.
4. Transportation	a) Researchers should consider transportation barriers and strive to provide transportation or alternative methods of study participation (e.g., virtual) to those unable to complete in-person visits. For example, providing gas-vouchers (or other forms of financial support to offset fuel cost) upfront, prior to the study visit, can promote visit attendance, supporting participants from lower-resourced communities.
	b) Study protocols should describe permitted versus unpermitted modes/types of transportation (e.g., taxi, rideshare services, etc.), and the conditions under which research personnel or approved volunteers can drive participants to/from the research site or drive to meet participants at participant-preferred locations, following institutional policies and IRB-approved plans.
5. Childcare	a) Researchers should consider potential childcare-related barriers and their impact on participant research engagement for both in-person and remote study visits, and make childcare accessible, so that everyone can participate in research; this includes arrangements for offering upfront financial support for at-home childcare.
	b) Individuals involved in childcare assistance should complete child abuse-related training to reduce the risk of child abuse/neglect, and ensure child safety and compliance with child abuse reporting mandates, and receive “clearance” based on their criminal background check prior to being involved in childcare activities.
	c) Childcare services delivered by providers hired or contracted specifically for this task should be institutionally approved, with proper agreements in place. If offering “ecological support” to the parents/caregivers at the study site, the protocol should outline who (e.g., study personnel, volunteers), where (i.e., on site versus not) and how (e.g., what is allowed versus not, e.g., the need for at least two people to be always present? who can change diapers?) will assist parents/caregivers with childcare, and what training requirements these individuals need to satisfy.
6. Overnight lodging	a) Lodging should be offered to all study participants, especially when research procedures are lengthy or conducted later in the evening.
	b) Selection of overnight lodging options should be aligned with the needs of participants and their accompanying families (e.g., proximity to research site; room(s) large enough to support a family unit) and the institutional requirements regarding approved costs for lodging in the area; although institutions may have preferred vendors who meet the approved cost criteria, alternative lodging options should be considered if the “standard” approved ones are less convenient for participants and/or their families. Planning these arrangements in advance can reduce the burden of adding a new vendor.
7. Snacks/meals	a) Snacks/meals to support research participants and their families may be necessary, especially during longer visits. Cost of snacks/meals may be regulated both by institutional and federal policies, and should be considered when developing study-specific plans.
	b) A healthy snack should be offered during all in-person visits; recording participant preferences and offering a “preferred snack” may be particularly appreciated by participants and their families, especially for those with dietary or allergy considerations. A full meal should be considered for longer visits or visits during traditional meal times (e.g., breakfast, lunch, or dinner).
	c) Children and pregnant or lactating persons may require more frequent or particular snacks/meals than other groups. Being mindful of individual needs is especially important when research participants receive vouchers to eat in nearby restaurants, which may not have appropriate snacks/food; arranging for alternative snack/meal options/locations can help meet participant needs and support research engagement. Engaging a nutritionist or dietician to advise on appropriate healthy foods can be helpful.