Terms and Conditions

Setting the Stage for Successful Collaboration

At Research Pathfinder, we want every engagement to be a positive, productive experience for all parties involved. That starts with clear communication and shared expectations. Research also operates within a complex regulatory landscape, where confidentiality, ethics, and compliance are essential.

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To support trust, transparency, and high-quality work, we’ve developed the following terms and conditions to guide all collaborations on our platform.

Research Pathfinder Terms and Conditions

1. Overview of Research Pathfinder

Research Pathfinder is a collaborative, service-based online marketplace designed to accelerate academic and clinical research by connecting investigators and research teams with verified freelance professionals. Our goal is to streamline research support through flexible, secure, and transparent partnerships.

Users of the platform may act as Clients (researchers, investigators, institutions) or Contractors (freelance experts, research professionals, or service providers). Research Pathfinder supports secure contracting, milestone tracking, and invoicing. All platform users are U.S.-based.

By using Research Pathfinder, all users agree to abide by the terms, policies, and agreements outlined on this page.

2. Platform Use and User Responsibilities

Clients and Contractors:

Must accurately represent their identity, credentials, and institutional affiliation (if applicable).

Agree to uphold professional standards and confidentiality in all engagements.

Are responsible for ensuring compliance with institutional policies, including IRB approvals, data use agreements, and vendor registration requirements.

Users who violate these principles—including breaches of confidentiality, data misuse, or failure to adhere to ethical or institutional requirements—may be removed from the platform at Research Pathfinder’s sole discretion.

Research Pathfinder:

Charges a platform fee on contracts facilitated through the platform.

Does not claim ownership of research content or intellectual property developed through the platform.

May collect anonymized usage data to improve platform functionality.

3. Confidentiality, Ethics, and Approvals

Confidentiality Commitments:

Contractors and Clients must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all non-public research data, materials, and discussions shared in the course of their engagement.

Confidential information may not be disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent of the disclosing party.

Parties may enter into a separate Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as needed.

Institutional Approvals:

Clients are responsible for ensuring all ethics approvals (e.g., IRB) and regulatory documentation (e.g., DUAs, MTAs) are in place and shared with the Contractor before beginning work.

Contractors agree to provide required compliance training documentation (e.g., CITI certification) if requested.

Ethics and Research Compliance:

All services performed under a contract must be covered by appropriate approvals and follow institutional and federal research ethics standards.

4. Intellectual Property and Authorship

All intellectual property, data, and outputs remain the property of the Client and/or their institution unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Authorship should be discussed early in the engagement and determined based on ICMJE criteria or mutual agreement. In general, authorship is not expected for contractors, though it may be appropriate in cases where contributions meet established authorship standards.

5. Scope of Work, Deliverables, and Compensation

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

Each engagement must include a clear scope of work and defined deliverables with corresponding milestones and payment schedules.

Compensation:

Contractors will be paid through Research Pathfinder. The amount of payment should be agreed upon prior to initiation of work and beginning the contract.

Payment is contingent upon milestone completion and documented deliverables.

Contractors earning over $500/year will receive a 1099.

Independent Contractor Status:

Contractors are not employees of Clients or of Research Pathfinder. They are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and business obligations.

6. Payment Terms

How Clients Can Pay:

Personal or business credit card or ACH

Institutional Procard

Purchase Order (requires vendor setup)

How Contractors Are Paid:

Via ACH/direct deposit through Research Pathfinder upon milestone completion, or

Through subcontract to their institution or company (vendor setup required)

7. Vendor Registration and Invoicing

Research Pathfinder can be set up as a vendor at your institution.

Resources provided:

Vendor registration form

Invoice template

Instructions for submitting invoices and processing payments

8. Termination and Dispute Resolution

Either party may terminate an agreement with written notice. If terminated early, the Client agrees to pay for completed work to date, and the Contractor agrees to return any confidential materials and transfer partial deliverables as appropriate.

In the event of a dispute, parties agree to first engage in good-faith resolution. If unresolved, mediation or arbitration may be pursued. Research Pathfinder reserves the right to remove users who breach agreements or platform policies.

9. Legal Compliance and Governing Law

All activities conducted through Research Pathfinder must comply with applicable federal, state, and institutional laws and regulations. Agreements will be governed by the laws of the state in which the Client or Client’s institution is located, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

10. Updates to Terms

These terms and conditions may be updated periodically. Users will be notified of significant changes and are responsible for reviewing the terms regularly.

For questions about these terms, contact: admin@researchpathfinder.co