Frequently asked questions

First, check this FAQ page with answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you do not find a solution here, the step by step manuals on this page will help you further.

Simply register, without any obligation, via this link or click “Register” at the top right. Fill in the form with your details and click “Send”.

No, unfortunately that is not possible. Your email address is your username and must be unique.

Choose the correct item and click on the arrow pointing to the right. The item will then appear in the right-hand column.

Click on “Login” at the top right of the website to log in or press this button.

You can easily change your password via the “My profile” tab. After logging in, go to the “My profile” tab and click the “Change password” button on the right. First enter your current password to verify that you have access to your account. Then enter your new password and confirm it by entering it again in the second field. Click “Set new password” to apply the change. Once you have completed these steps, your password has been successfully changed and you can log in with your new password.

You can request a new password via this link. Enter your username (email address) and click “Reset password”. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password, if your account is known to us. Do not forget to check your spam folder, as automated messages are sometimes filtered there.

You can enable extra security by setting up two-factor authentication. Click on “My profile” in the menu bar and select “Enable multi-factor” at the bottom right. Follow the steps on the screen. At your next login, you will be asked to activate an authenticator.

Contact us via pionier@sgs.com and request deactivation of two-factor authentication. After deactivation you will receive a confirmation email.

The studies you can see are tailored to your personal profile. Only studies that match your details are shown. Keep an eye on the study overview for the most up-to-date offer.

After logging in, you can adjust your details in the “My profile” tab. Click the pencil icon next to the field you want to change and click “Save” at the bottom once you have made your changes.

Some changes must be approved by the recruitment team. Once they have been approved, they will become visible in your profile.

Yes. Go to “My profile” in the menu bar and choose “Delete my profile”. You will receive a confirmation email once this has been processed.

There are 3 possible statuses:

• Registered: I have registered online for the study. A recruiter will review my registration and approve or reject it. Once all registrations have been reviewed, all approved candidates receive an email at the same time to book a screening appointment online.

• Approved: I have been approved to schedule a screening visit online, subject to slot availability. All approved candidates receive an email at the same time informing them that it is possible to schedule an appointment online.

• Rejected: I have been rejected by the recruiter for this study (for example due to a known medical reason).

Under the “Studies” menu you will find an overview of all studies for which you are eligible. Click “Register” to sign up. Once you have registered, you will see the status “Registered” at the top right. A recruiter will then approve or reject your registration. Once all registrations have been reviewed, all approved candidates receive an email at the same time to book a screening appointment online. This can happen at any moment, so be quick! There are often more approved registrations than available appointments.

A recruiter approves or rejects your registration. Once all registrations have been reviewed, all approved candidates receive an email at the same time to book a screening appointment online. This can happen at any moment, so be quick! There are often more approved registrations than available appointments.

If all slots for a study are fully booked, it is not possible to schedule a screening visit, even if you have been approved for that study. As soon as slots become available again, you will be notified by email. Another option is to register for a different study.

Log in and go to “My appointments”. Click “Appointment overview”, select the appointment date and cancel it. You can then immediately book a new screening appointment, as long as there are still available slots.

You may only participate in one study at a time. For that reason, you can also only book one screening appointment at a time. This gives every participant a fair chance and prevents overlapping schedules.

Ambulatory visits are pre-scheduled according to a strict timeline and cannot be changed via the app. You will receive the full study calendar in advance so that all appointments can be reserved in your calendar. If you exceptionally cannot attend an appointment, please contact the recruitment team via pionier@sgs.com. They will assess whether a change is possible, but this cannot always be guaranteed.

There are two possible reasons:

1. We only show studies that match your personal profile. If there are no studies available for which you are eligible (for example due to age), no studies will be displayed.
2. You are currently active in a study. New studies will automatically appear in your profile once your participation has ended.

The development of new medicines takes place in different steps. After years of laboratory testing, the medicine is tested in humans for the first time. In these early-phase studies, the body’s reaction and any side effects are studied in healthy volunteers. In this way, the entire study can be conducted under the same conditions so that the correct conclusions can be drawn. After repeated research, the medicine is only then used in patients to obtain a clear picture of its effectiveness.

In Belgium, strict national and international rules apply to drug research in humans. A clinical study may only start after approval by an ethics committee and the Belgian medicines authority (FAMHP). During the study, doctors and nurses closely monitor the volunteers and measure and follow up safety parameters at various time points. Our main concerns are the safety, privacy and well-being of the volunteers. Although the risk of incidents is considered very small, it cannot be excluded 100%. Read more about safety and risks here.

No treatment is completely free of risk. Approved medicines (drugs that are already on the market) also have side effects. The study doctor is obliged to inform potential participants about everything that is known regarding possible risks and side effects. These risks are also described in detail in the informed consent form that the volunteer receives and must sign. One of the goals of clinical research is, of course, to identify side effects in humans. Read more about safety and risks here.

You can find an overview of our ongoing studies here. Would you like to register? You can easily do so via the My Pionier online application: under the “Studies” menu you will find an overview of all studies for which you are eligible. Click “Register” to sign up. Once you have registered, you will see the status “Registered” at the top right.

A recruiter will then approve or reject your registration. Once all registrations have been reviewed, all approved candidates receive an email at the same time to book a screening appointment online. This can happen at any time, so be quick! There are often more approved registrations than available appointments.

All inclusion criteria can always be found in the information sheet for the study. We always check your profile before you can schedule a screening appointment via the Pionier app.

You can participate as often as you wish. In most cases, you must wait at least one month after the last follow-up of a previous study before starting another study. Sometimes the interval is longer; we always follow the study protocol. The period during which the medication remains in your body after dosing (the half-life) is also an important factor. You can read the specific requirements per study in the study-specific information sheet. Of course, our staff are happy to check with you which study you can or cannot participate in, via a check in Verified Clinical Trials (VCT). This software program prevents you from taking part again too soon and is primarily for your own safety.

VCT is an international database used by different research centres to check whether a volunteer can participate in a study. For safety reasons, you may only be dosed in one study at a time. VCT also checks the intervals between successive studies. Without your consent (given at the screening visit), we cannot run a VCT check and you cannot take part in our studies. It is in your own best interest to follow these rules.

On this page you can get a good impression of our facility, or visit our centre virtually via the 360-degree tour.

No, we do not issue certificates of incapacity for work or sick notes. We can provide a certificate of attendance, but please note: this is not a valid certificate of leave and will not automatically be accepted by your employer.

Pour des raisons de sécurité, nous demandons que les volontaires maîtrisent le néerlandais ou l' anglais. Si vous parlez et comprenez bien le néerlandais ou l' anglais, nous pouvons vous enregistrer dans notre base de données.

SGS employees and their immediate family members may take part in clinical studies, unless this is not permitted by the study protocol.

To carry out our clinical studies, SGS CPU is often looking for new staff for a wide range of roles. You can find all vacancies on the SGS job site (filter on “Edegem” to see the current CPU vacancies).

Yes, absolutely! We are happy to thank you with a digital gift voucher of €50. You can find more information and conditions here.

We value our pioneers’ feedback and greatly appreciate your experience with SGS CPU. After your follow up, you will receive an invitation by email to complete our questionnaire. Your input helps us further improve our processes and communication. Of course, your feedback is also always welcome by email at pionier@sgs.com or by phone.

During the screening visit you receive detailed information about the specific study. You can ask all your questions to the medical team. Only when everything is clear to you and you agree to continue participating do you and the doctor sign the informed consent form. From that moment on you are part of the study, and we examine in detail whether you are suitable to participate in the next steps. This screening includes a consultation with the doctor and several medical examinations. Among other things, we check your blood pressure, weight, urine sample, etc.

By signing the informed consent form, you formally confirm that you have carefully considered your participation in the study, that all the information was clear, and that you are willing to participate. This procedure is legally required. Without your formal consent, you cannot start the study.

The screening visit will take approximately three hours. Make sure you allow enough time in your schedule.

The screening takes place at our research centre SGS CPU in Edegem: Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem (on the UZA campus – Building J).

Since 2025, the order of registration is no longer relevant for participation. The time of your screening visit does not make any difference: someone who comes at 8:30 has exactly the same chance as someone who comes at 15:35. Thanks to a new automatic digital randomisation system, every pioneer (after a successful screening) has exactly the same chance of taking part.

No, the digital randomisation system does not take previous positions into account. If you have been a reserve once, you are not automatically a participant in your next study.

Yes, we will send you the results on simple request.

The information sheet for a specific study clearly states whether overnight stays are required. This is usually the case. Exceptions are not possible.

On our ward you can stay in comfortable single rooms or in mixed multi-bed rooms. Room allocation is based on the sequence of the study. Each participant also has their own wardrobe and bedside locker with a secure combination lock, so personal belongings can always be stored safely.

Our research centre has different types of rooms, from single rooms to rooms with eight beds. However, it is not possible to express a personal preference. The type of study and operational capacity determine the room type.

No, unfortunately this is not logistically feasible.

Bring enough comfortable clothing, slippers, towels and toiletries. To help you relax, we recommend bringing enough items to fill your free time (e.g. a book, laptop, drawing materials, etc.).

Each ward is equipped with a washing machine and dryer. In consultation with the study staff, you can use them.

Of course. There is free Wi-Fi throughout our research centre. All these devices can be safely stored in your personal locker.

During your stay, you are not allowed to bring your own food or drinks. We provide all meals, snacks and drinks, as all participants have to consume the same items, often at fixed times.

Side effects cannot be predicted in advance for each individual. Based on previous studies, the doctors can estimate which side effects may occur. This is always discussed during the screening visit. In any case, your health is always closely monitored and regularly assessed by our medical team.

The first blood sample is taken during the screening visit to check whether your blood values allow you to participate in the study. We then take another blood sample a few days or hours before the study medication is administered to obtain a reference value. After dosing, several blood samples are scheduled to study how the concentration of the medication in your blood changes over time.

On pharmacokinetic (PK) days, the study medication is administered. These are the days on which various activities and examinations are carried out to monitor how your body reacts to the medicine.

If you do not feel well during your stay or afterwards, report this immediately to the medical staff. In consultation with a doctor, it will then be decided whether you can continue the study or not.

You can contact one of the three confidential counsellors within the CPU: Annelies Beullens, Ibrahim Kalkan or Sophie Van Neer. They will listen to your experience, discuss possible next steps, and always do so under professional confidentiality. You can speak to them in person during your stay or email them at SGS.vertrouwenspersoonpionier@gmail.com. You can read more information on this page.

Yes, absolutely! Only on dosing days is a lot of your time required as a participant. At those times, we closely monitor you continuously. On the other days of the study, you have plenty of free time and can use our recreation rooms and facilities.

This depends very much on the type of study in which you participate. You will receive detailed information about this during the screening visit. The most common routes of administration are: oral (by mouth as a solution or tablet), intravenous (into a vein), subcutaneous (under the skin) or intramuscular (into a muscle).

No. During a study, all pioneers receive the same standardised meals during their stay on the unit. There are also additional restrictions on what you may eat and drink. For example, you will not be served caffeinated drinks, chocolate or citrus fruits because they can influence the study results or compromise your safety.

If you do not eat (pork) meat, we always provide a vegetarian alternative, unless the protocol states otherwise. All information about meal restrictions can be found on our study-specific information sheets. Please note: some clinical studies require a uniform meal plan, in which you as a pioneer have no free choice. We will always inform you of this during the screening visit.

A placebo pill does not contain any active substance. Our results must be as reliable as possible. Who receives which treatment is determined by chance. As a volunteer, you cannot choose; this process is called randomisation and is very important in our double-blind studies in which a placebo is used.

No, it is not possible to receive visitors during your stay. With our free Wi-Fi you can stay in touch with the outside world.

If your employer agrees, everything is available to combine your stay with work. You provide a laptop/tablet; we provide Wi-Fi. You must ensure that you do not disturb other pioneers and keep in mind that on certain days and at specific times examinations are scheduled that cannot be changed.

During the screening visit, the house rules are discussed in detail and signed. These guidelines are based on mutual respect and contain fundamental agreements. Cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine are not allowed during most studies.

In your room you can quietly occupy yourself as you wish. For some people that is watching a series or film, others prefer reading or doing handicrafts. Of course, gaming, studying or working on your personal electronic devices is also possible. Alone or with fellow participants – the choice is yours. In addition, there is a common recreation room where you will always find board games and various magazines. There is even a pool table and a sunny outdoor terrace.

You are not allowed to donate blood and/or plasma while taking part in a drug study. The study medication is administered and is absorbed into the blood. In that way, the medication could enter the bloodstream of the person receiving your blood. For safety reasons, this is not allowed.

Yes. You will receive compensation in return for your time and commitment as a pioneer. The compensation depends on the duration of the study and the number of visits, and is completely independent of any potential risks or side effects. In addition, you will receive a mileage allowance for your travel to the SGS CPU.

The compensation for participation is specific to each study and is always clearly stated in the information sheet for the study. You can find more general information about compensation here.

The payment time depends on the phase of the study. If you only take part in the screening and do not continue in the study, payment is initiated after the first dosing of the medication. If you continue to participate in the study, the payment process starts after the final visit. You will receive your compensation no later than six weeks after the payment has been initiated.

No. The compensation is a reimbursement for your commitment as a pioneer and does not reflect an assessment of health risks. You can find more general information about compensation here.

Send us an email at pionier@sgs.com. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Absolutely. You can reach the car park entrance via the roundabout at Drie Eikenstraat 655. You can find all detailed information here.

You can use the UZA visitors’ car park free of charge. Do not forget to have your parking ticket validated free of charge at the reception of our research centre.

The research centre is easily accessible by train, bus and shared bicycles. You can find more detailed information here.

Your bicycle or scooter can be safely parked in the designated racks right next to the SGS CPU research centre. Please always keep emergency and fire lanes clear.