Riverside University · Research
Healthy adults 18 to 45 needed
A research study of an investigational vaccine. Six visits over four months. Compensation for time and travel is provided.
IRB #RU-2026-0112
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Eight sample recruitment ads for different kinds of studies, each annotated with why it works for the IRB and for Meta, plus a recruitment flyer, an Instagram Stories ad, and before-and-after rewrites of ads that would be rejected. Use them as a starting point for your own IRB packet.
Every ad below follows the same structure: it names the institution, says it is a research study, describes the study in plain language, gives an age range and one or two eligibility hints, states the time commitment, mentions compensation in one plain sentence (if the IRB allows it), and links to the study team's own screener. That structure comes from FDA guidance on recruiting study subjects and Meta's rule against implying a viewer's health condition. For the full picture of how recruitment advertising works, see clinical trial advertising.
Each one is written for a fictional study at a fictional institution, Riverside University, so the structure is the focus rather than the brand.
Healthy-volunteer studies draw from a large audience, so a clear time commitment does most of the filtering.
Mental health ads are especially prone to personal-attributes rejections on Meta. Third-person wording and a calm, non-clinical image matter most here.
Meta limits ad targeting for people under 18 to age and location, so pediatric ads always target parents.
TrialFill's completed women's health campaign drew 1,782 study page visits from $1,000 in 30 days.
Adult children sometimes see memory-study ads and share them with a parent, so the copy should make sense to both.
For drug trials, never name the investigational product unless the IRB has approved it in the ad.
TrialFill's neurology campaigns averaged $0.37 per click across five rounds for the same research team.
Prevention studies recruit healthy people, so the copy can be more direct than treatment studies.
Riverside University, Riverside Children's Research Center, the studies, IRB numbers, and copy above are fictional and shown for illustration only.
IRBs review flyers in final form, including type size and layout, so submit the designed version, not just the text. Flyers have a place next to clinics and on campus, but they reach only people who walk past them; most studies pair them with Facebook ads.
The vertical version is a separate piece of creative. Include it in the IRB packet next to the feed version rather than cropping the approved feed image later.
The same idea, written two ways. The first version of each would be sent back by the IRB, rejected by Meta, or both. The full rules are in the clinical trial advertising guidelines.
The ads above are samples. These are real results from Meta campaigns TrialFill ran for University of Alabama at Birmingham research studies, built on the same structure. Study names are withheld until each research team approves publication.
average cost per click across five campaigns for the same research team, 7,007 link clicks from $2,599
visits to the study page in 30 days from $1,000 in ad spend, $0.56 per visit
visits to the study page from $600 across two campaigns, $0.70 per visit
Every campaign is on the results page, and the cost benchmarks are in the clinical trial advertising cost guide.
A university or hospital name in the first line is the strongest trust signal a recruitment ad has.
An age range and one key criterion filter the audience better than any interest targeting can.
Visits, length, and anything done at home. Surprises at the screening call lose people.
Describe the study and who may be eligible; never tell the reader they have a condition.
Compensation as one plain sentence, if the IRB approves it. Never the headline.
Every ad, flyer, and Story points to the same study-team form, so inquiries stay with your team.
A good clinical trial ad names the institution, says it is a research study, describes the purpose in plain language, gives a short eligibility summary such as an age range and one key criterion, states the time commitment, and links to the study team's screener. For example: "Riverside University is conducting a research study on hot flashes and sleep in women ages 45 to 60 going through menopause. The study involves three clinic visits. Compensation may be available."
Under FDA guidance, it should not claim or imply that the product being studied is safe or effective, call it a "new treatment" without saying it is investigational, promise "free treatment" when it only means participation costs nothing, or emphasize payment. On Facebook and Instagram, it also cannot say or imply that the viewer has a health condition, such as "Do you have diabetes?"
Yes. The condition or purpose of the research is one of the items FDA guidance says an ad may include. On Meta, the condition has to be described in the third person ("adults with type 2 diabetes") rather than attributed to the reader ("your diabetes").
Two to four approved variations is a practical starting point: for example, a plain research ad, a contribution ad, and an eligibility-first ad. All variations need IRB approval before they run, so submitting them together in one packet saves a second review.
Clean study-branded graphics, campus or clinic photos, or a person who matches the age range, shown in a neutral, everyday setting. Avoid images of symptoms, distress, injections, or before-and-after comparisons, and never put a payment amount on the image.
No. Riverside University, the studies, the IRB numbers, and the ad copy on this page are fictional, written to show the structure that passes IRB and Meta review. Real creative from TrialFill's client studies is shared on request with each research team's permission, and real campaign numbers are on the results page.
These examples are illustrations, not legal or regulatory advice. Your IRB's written policies always take precedence.
TrialFill writes recruitment ads from your approved materials, delivers the full set as an IRB-ready packet, and runs them on Facebook and Instagram. Tell us about your study and you'll have a recruitment plan back within one business day.
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