Recruiting and retaining research participants is challenging, especially when study teams are already stretched thin. This session provides a basic introduction to AI and, more importantly, shows how AI can save time by making study materials clearer and more engaging. Attendees will learn the benefits, limits, and UNC-specific considerations of using AI in recruitment and retention workflows.

We’ll share plain-language strategies and examples using Microsoft Copilot to draft and refine participant-friendly materials, simplify dense language, and reduce the burden of starting from scratch. We’ll also include a materials design component led by Sarah Sutter, Research Communications & Design Specialist at the NC TraCS Institute’s Recruitment & Retention program, focused on how teams can use AI thoughtfully when designing and polishing recruitment materials.

Prerequisites: This session is for all levels; no prior experience with AI is required. Attending Insincere Participation: What Your Recruitment Design Is Really Saying (and Who It's Inviting In) and Make it Clear: Lay Language Best Practices for Recruitment & Retention in the 3-session series is preferred.

Learning Objectives

In this session, we will:

• Explain where AI can (and cannot) support recruitment and retention at UNC, including practical limits and why a human-in-the-loop approach remains essential.

• Demonstrate how to use Microsoft Copilot, alongside plain-language and participant-facing strategies, to draft and revise materials more efficiently.

• Provide high-level materials design guidance from Sarah Sutter, NC TraCS Recruitment & Retention Communications & Design Specialist, with practical tips for using AI thoughtfully in designing and refining recruitment materials