Paid Clinical Trials in Knoxville

Candace Kastanis

Written by Candace Kastanis

Chemistry B.S. | UC Davis | Clinical Lab Technician

Updated & Fact Checked 7/30/26

Research For Healthy Volunteers

how to find clinical trials

Knoxville is a smaller research market, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. As of July 2026, 220 studies are actively recruiting in the city, according to ClinicalTrials.gov — a fraction of what Nashville runs, though the studies here tend to have less competition for spots.

If you’re trying to find new ways to supplement your income, you might want to consider paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers nearby. Knoxville has 28 facilities conducting paid clinical research. Usually, these facilities are Clinical Research Organizations or CROs. CROs have to conduct multiple studies, and generally, these studies involve multiple participants.

Certainly, some may only require one or two volunteers, but in many scenarios, a test group and a control group of dozens or hundreds are necessary. It’s estimated for American medicine to continue advancing progressively over time, approximately 1 in 200 people, or half of one percent, need to be involved in some sort of clinical research throughout the year.

So for Knoxville, that means you should expect a range of between 965 and 4,500 individual opportunities between the center of the city and facilities throughout the greater metro area. That means each of those 28 facilities, according to the stats, should have opportunities for around 34 to 160 people per CRO. In order to clarify the picture of local opportunities further, we’ll explore demographic data next.

Quick Facts: Paid Clinical Trials in Knoxville

  • Actively recruiting studies (July 2026): 220 (ClinicalTrials.gov)
  • Typical compensation: $50–$100 per completed outpatient visit; residential Phase 1 studies pay more (see highest paid clinical trials)
  • Cost to participate: $0 — study care and visits are covered by the sponsor
  • Worth knowing: fewer studies run here than in Nashville, but less competition for the spots that exist
  • Statewide options: paid clinical trials in Tennessee

Where Knoxville trials actually run

We sampled recruiting Knoxville studies on ClinicalTrials.gov in July 2026. The sites running the most trials:

Research siteTrials sampled
University of Tennessee Medical Center and UT Knoxville64
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital24
Tennessee Cancer Specialists9
Alliance for Multispecialty Research (AMR)9

The University of Tennessee Medical Center anchors adult research and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital covers pediatrics. Tennessee Cancer Specialists and AMR run industry-sponsored studies, which tend to move faster through screening. For a wider selection, Nashville is about 180 miles west and Vanderbilt runs one of the largest programs in the South.

Demographic Data Helps Identify Trial Availability in Knoxville

Knoxville ethnicity is, according to recent statistics, 75.63% white, and 16.94% black or African. Meanwhile, 3.86% of the population have two or more races in their ethnic background. The remaining population is minimally diverse, though Tennessee does have a certain level of diversity. In terms of male/female distribution, 51.98% of the population is female, and 48.02% is male. The median age is 32.9. As you seek paid clinical trials nearby for healthy volunteers, keep this data in mind.

Registry Study for Radiation Therapy Outcomes
Recruiting
The purpose of this research study is to collect and analyze information from patients being treated with various forms of radiation therapy.
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
All
Trial Updated:
05/30/2024
Locations: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
Conditions: Neoplasms
Prospective Research Assessment in Multiple Myeloma: An Observational Evaluation (PREAMBLE)
Recruiting
The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical effectiveness of all approved multiple myeloma (MM) therapies in the newly-diagnosed (NDMM) and the relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM) settings in real-world clinical practice.
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
01/28/2025
Locations: Local Institution, Birmingham, Alabama +1 locations
Conditions: Multiple Myeloma
Hypofractionated Image Guided Proton Therapy for Low andIntermediate Risk Prostate Cancer
Recruiting
This study is being proposed to evaluate the use of moderate hypofractionated proton therapy in low and intermediate risk prostate cancer patients. Quality of life outcomes as well as gastrointestinal and genitourinary early and late toxicities will be analyzed and compared to conventional proton therapy regimens. It is thought that this regimen will produce comparable findings and would result in substantial health care cost savings, as well as, be more convenient for patients.
Gender:
MALE
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
04/03/2019
Locations: Provision Cares Proton Therapy Center Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee
Conditions: Prostate Cancer
Crizotinib in Treating Patients With Stage IB-IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Has Been Removed by Surgery and ALK Fusion Mutations (An ALCHEMIST Treatment Trial)
Recruiting
This randomized phase III trial studies how well crizotinib works in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery and has a mutation in a protein called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Mutations, or changes, in ALK can make it very active and important for tumor cell growth and progression. Crizotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the ALK protein from working. Crizotinib may be an effective treatment for patients with non-sma... Read More
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
06/29/2024
Locations: University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center, Birmingham, Alabama
Conditions: ALK Gene Rearrangement, ALK Gene Translocation, ALK Positive, Stage IB Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma AJCC v7, Stage II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer AJCC v7, Stage IIA Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma AJCC v7, Stage IIB Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma AJCC v7, Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer AJCC v7
A Study to Check the Safety of Dexlansoprazole and Learn If it Can Heal Erosive Esophagitis (EE) and Keep it Healed in Children 2 to 11 Years Old
Recruiting
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by food or acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus, repeatedly. The esophagus is the tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach. The body uses stomach acid to break down food, but when acid rises up into the esophagus it can hurt or damage it. People with GERD often feel food coming back up into the throat and mouth and have a burning feeling in their stomach, chest, or throat, called heartburn. Other symptoms of G... Read More
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
Between 2 years and 11 years
Trial Updated:
09/25/2024
Locations: University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
Conditions: Erosive Esophagitis
A Study to Check the Safety of Dexlansoprazole and Learn if it Can Treat Symptomatic Nonerosive Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Children 2 to 11 Years Old
Recruiting
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by food or acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus, repeatedly. The esophagus is the tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach. The body uses stomach acid to break down food, but when acid rises up into the esophagus it can hurt or damage it. People with GERD often feel food coming back up into the throat and mouth and have a burning feeling in their stomach, chest, or throat, called heartburn. Other symptoms of... Read More
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
Between 2 years and 11 years
Trial Updated:
11/11/2024
Locations: University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
Conditions: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Y90 Radioembolization Dose Delivery and Radiation Exposure Assessment
Recruiting
The objective of this study is to examine critical aspects of radiation exposure, dose delivery, and systemic yttrium-90 (Y90) exposure related to the infusion of Y90 microspheres for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other metastatic liver disease.
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
09/25/2018
Locations: University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee
Conditions: Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Radiation Exposure
Comparing Proton Therapy to Photon Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer
Recruiting
This trial studies how well proton beam radiation therapy compared with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy works in treating patients with stage I-IVA esophageal cancer. Proton beam radiation therapy uses a beam of protons (rather than x-rays) to send radiation inside the body to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissue around it. Intensity modulated photon radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to deliver radiation directly to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissu... Read More
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
01/21/2025
Locations: Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona +2 locations
Conditions: Clinical Stage I Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage I Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage I Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage II Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IIA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IIA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IIB Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IIB Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage III Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IVA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IVA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Clinical Stage IVA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage I Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage I Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage I Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IB Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IB Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IB Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IC Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IC Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage II Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIB Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIB Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIB Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage III Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage III Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIB Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIB Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IIIB Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IVA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IVA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Pathologic Stage IVA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage I Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage I Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage I Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage II Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage II Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage II Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage III Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage III Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIB Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIB Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IIIB Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IVA Esophageal Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IVA Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Postneoadjuvant Therapy Stage IVA Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma AJCC v8, Thoracic Esophagus Squamous Cell Carcinoma
GORE® CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder and Antiplatelet Medical Management for Reduction of Recurrent Stroke in Patients With Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): the REDUCE Post Approval Study
Recruiting
This study will assess the safety and effectiveness of GORE® CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder in a post approval setting and evaluate the quality of operator education and training and transferability of trial experience to a post-market setting.
Gender:
ALL
Ages:
Between 18 years and 70 years
Trial Updated:
03/24/2025
Locations: St. Mary's Hospital, Tucson, Arizona
Conditions: Stroke, PFO - Patent Foramen Ovale
CERENOVUS Neurothrombectomy Devices Registry
Recruiting
A post-market registry evaluating the EmboTrap® Revascularization Device and CERENOVUS Large Bore Catheter/ EMBOVAC Aspiration Catheter in acute ischemic stroke patients with confirmed intracranial large vessel occlusion.
Gender:
All
Ages:
18 years and above
Trial Updated:
10/19/2022
Locations: The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama +1 locations
Conditions: Cerebral Stroke

Interpreting Knoxville Demographic Data to Find Paid Trials

Essentially, CROs are going to use whatever cultural elements define the area where they’re established, except in certain special circumstances. For Knoxville, paid clinical trials for healthy volunteers are going to predominantly involve adults in their early thirties. Keep in mind, most studies require data that incorporates as many relevant variables as possible, meaning many CROs seek out diverse volunteers. In a nutshell, there are 900 to 4,500 opportunities available for anyone who is willing and healthy in Knoxville. Adults in their early thirties will have the best options.


Knoxville CROs With Opportunities for Healthy Participants

In order to help you in your search for healthy volunteer paid clinical trials, here are several options from different areas of Knoxville that offer opportunities:


Notable Medical Trends in Knoxville

Quite a few different signposts on the trail of history were driven into the historical ground by the people of Knoxville, Tennessee. The city has made contributions to medical sciences in its past, advanced tech is being used in the present, and researchers are paving the way to the future:


Knoxville Paid Clinical Trial FAQs

  • How much do paid clinical trials pay here?

    Most outpatient studies pay $50–$100 per completed visit, plus travel reimbursement. Residential Phase 1 studies pay considerably more. The exact amount appears in the consent form before you enroll.

  • What should I do if I cannot find a Knoxville study that fits?

    Nashville is roughly 180 miles west and runs close to 2,000 recruiting studies through Vanderbilt, Sarah Cannon, and other centers. Many sponsors reimburse travel, and some studies need only a few in-person visits, so a Nashville trial can still be workable.

  • Are there industry-sponsored studies in Knoxville?

    Yes. Dedicated research companies including Alliance for Multispecialty Research and Tennessee Cancer Specialists run sponsor-funded trials in the area. These often screen faster than academic centers and cover conditions like diabetes, dermatology, and respiratory illness.

Knoxville CRO Trial Opportunities For Healthy Volunteers

If you are trying to find clinical research opportunities for healthy volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee, you’ve got options. Reach out and be a part of history.