How is a "researcher" defined?
A ‘researcher' is anyone paid on a research project and/or research sundry fund.
How is "education" defined?
Education use-cases encompass Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs (including resident/fellow recruitment), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) such as Grand Rounds, and external education delivery where registration, breakout rooms and polling functionality is required.
How much does a Zoom license cost?
The cost for a Zoom license is $150 per user per year in 2025 (pro-rated from July 1). Pricing for future years is subject to change and will be communicated during the renewal process in Nov/Dec.
How do I order a Zoom license?
Log in to rcservices.partners.org with your MGB credentials. You will be required to enter a fund for your purchase. Grant funds may only be used if this type of cost is permitted in the terms of the grant.
I use Zoom for patient care. Can I use the same account for research and education purposes?
Yes, if your Zoom license is for patient care, you may also use it for research and education purposes at no additional cost. As per the Virtual Care Recording Policy, recording for clinical Zoom accounts is disabled by default. If recording is required for research or education purposes, follow the following request process:
- Obtain Site Privacy Officer Approval: before submitting a request, users must secure approval from their Site Privacy Officer. If you only require recording for research or education purposes, please make this clear when requesting approval. If you are unsure who your privacy officer is, email the Privacy Office at @email.
- Complete Request Form: Complete the Virtual Care Request form within the ServiceNow portal (VPN required). Until there is a new process for research, please complete this form as if for virtual visits and add ‘For research/education purposes’ in the ‘Additional details’ box using the following guidance:
- Select: Virtual Visits from the service category
- Choose: Recording Privileges as the request type
- Answer: Yes to the question: “Are you requesting Zoom recording privileges for Virtual Visits?”
- Fill out: all remaining required fields
- State what you need recording for: if you only intend to record research and/or education-related calls, please state this in the “Additional request details” box
- Attach Documentation: upload approval from the Site Privacy Officer as part of the request submission (email approval is acceptable)
- Submit the Request: the request will be routed for review and provisioning by the appropriate support team
Can another member of my team order a license for me and manage my Zoom account going forward?
Yes, someone other than you can order a license via rcservices.partners.org, answering 'Yes' to "Are you ordering for someone else", and entering the licensed user’s name. There are no changes to the way Zoom's 'scheduling privilege' function works, but both users will need a paid license for a delegate to schedule and manage meetings for another Zoom user.
NOTE: delegates/alternate hosts cannot access attendance records - this is only available to the user who set up the call.
I’m not familiar with using Teams. Is training available?
Yes. Step-by-step guidance, a webinar schedule, learning resources, and FAQs are available on Vitals here.
If I leave MGB, can my Zoom licenses be transferred?
Yes, send an email to @email and include your User ID and the new user’s User ID.
What about virtual visits with research subjects, who may not have Teams?
Study teams that require Zoom for study participant engagement and are unable to charge to their grant, can see available options and how to apply for an MGB-paid license. Please contact @email with any questions.