This template includes informational elements for a recruitment email or letter. Bold and bracketed fields are instructions for adding study-specific information.  Modify the format to fit your recruitment method (letter, email, flyer, information sheet, etc.). Remove bold font prior to attaching in the appropriate attachment category on the Attachments page of the HawkIRB application.

An IRB approval stamp is included as a header on the template.  If the IRB stamp will not fit as a header based on departmental letterhead, it can be moved as a footer. 

Best practices for recruitment messages

  • Use a generic salutation. Do not include both name and diagnosis in the message. 

  • Refrain from using “you” language that states or implies that the individual you are contacting has a particular diagnosis 

    • Do not use: “We are sending you this letter because you have been diagnosed with XYZ.” 

    • Instead, use: “We are recruiting individuals with the diagnosis of XYZ. If you or someone you know has XYZ and are interested in participating…”

Recruitment Email
  • Put addresses in the BCC field to protect the privacy of recipients. 
  • If you include the name in the salutation and a diagnosis or potential diagnosis in the body of the message, encrypt the email prior to sending.

Recruitment Letter
  • If the study is about a sensitive medical condition, do not recruit via postcard to protect the privacy of recipients.
  • Use caution with the UI Health Care mail code that might reveal the nature of the diagnosis.

For a printable version: Recruitment Letter Template

Version 2, 07/08/2026