Clinical Trials

Sponsor, study site and contact: which one do you need?

2026-09-23 · 3 min read

When you open a study record, you may see an organisation's name, several locations and a study contact. They answer different questions. Knowing which one to use can save an unnecessary search or an email to the wrong place.

The sponsor: who is responsible for the study?

The sponsor is associated with initiating, managing or financing the research. It might be a university, a company, a government agency or another organisation. Its name is useful when you want to understand the project's institutional context. It does not tell you that participants attend at the sponsor's headquarters.

The locations: where is the study taking place?

Open the original record's Contacts and Locations section. A study may list more than one facility, including facilities in different countries. Check the specific location you are interested in rather than treating the study's overall address or sponsor name as a visit location.

A marker is a starting point for that check. It is not an appointment, a complete list of a study's facilities or confirmation that a particular location is accepting participants today. The map does not necessarily display a separate marker for every participating facility. A label may name the study sponsor, while location information comes from a listed study site. Use the original record to check the facility and address.

The contact: who can answer a practical question?

Use the current contact details attached to the study or relevant location. ClinicalTrials.gov directs people interested in a specific study to its study contact. The map and the registry do not enrol participants or decide who meets the study's requirements.

Before contacting a team, note the NCT number and the location you mean. A useful opening question is whether that location is currently considering enquiries about the named study. Avoid sending personal medical details through a general website feedback form.

When the map and record differ

Follow the current registry record and confirm practical details with the study team. To report a mapping error, send the map page, NCT number and the relevant public source through our contact page. A specific correction is easier to investigate than a screenshot without a study identifier.

Source-researched explainer. Sources and the map's import code checked September 24, 2026. The linked example illustrates record structure; it is not a psychedelic study recommendation.