Sponsored Projects Administration

WHAT ARE SPA CARDS?

The SPA Card Program is a secure, web-based system that allows clinical researchers to pay research participants with prepaid debit cards. These debit cards can be used by the card holder anywhere Visa® and Master card® debit cards are accepted and at virtually any ATM.  

The Visa® and Master card® debit cards are dispensed to the clinical researchers with a zero balance.  As participants are enrolled onto the study and study visit milestones are completed, the clinical researchers access secure, online forms to assign cards to participants and load funds.

The system provides an easy to navigate and easy to use platform to assign cards, make payments, and track payment information. Research participants and clinical trial study subjects have quick access to their payments along with convenient and flexible options on how to use their funds.

The SPA Cards Program allows clinical researchers to:

  • Submit requests to add studies to the program
  • Order cards (reloadable or signal use debit cards)
  • Enter and track participant information
  • Request funds to be added to the cards based on the payment schedule approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS).
  • Run study reports for participant payments 

PATIENT STIPENDS GUIDENCE

How Do I Pay Study Participants?
  • Decision Tree: please click here
What If Study Participant Is a UTHealth Employee?
  • Please Click here

PROGRAMS LINKS

Initial Order/ Add a New Study

https://redcap.uth.tmc.edu/surveys/?s=KYFPJNEMKN

       Before you begin, have the following information ready:

  • Peoplesoft ChartField String
  • Payment schedule and amounts
  • Email address and UTHealth user name of study personnel who will be accessing the SPA Gift Card system. This is generally the PI and the study coordinator(s).
List of Your Projects

https://redcap.uth.tmc.edu/plugins/spa_list.php

        For each project listed, you will see additional links to:

  • Activate/Fund a participant’s card
  • Order additional cards

TRAINING/ HOW TO

Guidance Documents

  • How to Fund One Time Use Cards- New Patient-First Visit: please click here
  • How to Fund Reloadable Cards- New Patient-First Visit : please click here
  • How to Fund One Time Use Cards- For Visit 2 and Beyond: please click here
  • How to Fund Reloadable Cards- For Visit 2 and Beyond : please click here
  • How to Pull Funding History Report: Please click here
  • Lost Card - Steps to take when research participant loses card: please click here

SPA Cards Training Program:

  • Online Training Course: please click here
  • One- on One Training: sessions are available, please contact [email protected] to schedule a training session.
  • How to Set Up REDCap Account: please click here
  • How to update Study Staff: please click here

Frequently Asked Questions, please click here