Do I need to submit my project or study for approval by the Research Committee?
Refer to these Research Review Criteria when determining whether your project or study requires IUSD Research Committee approval.
I'd like to submit a research request. What's the process?
Anyone wishing to conduct research in IUSD must first submit the application found above. This application and any relevant study materials will be reviewed by the IUSD Research Committee, which will make a recommendation to approve or deny each request based on the priorities listed in the Considerations for Approval section above. The value of time and resources required by any proposal will be weighed against the value of the anticipated benefits of the research studies proposed. If a study is approved by the Research Committee, researchers may then contact district or site administrators to solicit their participation. Site or district administrators may decide to accept or respectfully decline participation based on the unique interests of their department or school.
I'm on a tight timeline. Can you expedite the review process?
Unfortunately, due to the number of submissions we receive and the nature of our committee review process we are unable to accommodate expedited requests.
Am I required to use the sample IUSD Consent Forms?
The IUSD consent forms are sample templates for researchers to use that comply with our district consent guidelines. Researchers are not required to use these forms. If you have already developed another consent form, the Committee will review your consent form during the review process and provide any feedback.
What do I do if my university won't grant me IRB approval until I have district participation?
You can submit your application with the note that you will receive final IRB approval at a later date. If the study is approved by the IUSD Research Committee, the study will be placed on conditional approval until final IRB approval is received.
What type of feedback will I receive from the IUSD Research Committee?
On or before the notification date, researchers will be notified if their study has been approved, approved with conditions, or denied. The Committee makes the determination to approve or deny a study based on our priorities listed above. Whenever a study is denied (or approved with conditions), we will include the reasons or conditions in our response. If your study is approved with conditions, as long as you comply with the conditions you are free to contact sites/departments to solicit participation in your study. If your study is denied, it could be for a plethora of reasons (for example, limited benefit to the school/district, taking away too much instructional time, or asking for sensitive student information).
As an IUSD employee, I already have access to the data I need for my research. Do I still need to submit a research request?
Yes. Employees must go through the same research review process as outside researchers if you wish to conduct research for purposes that fall outside your normal job duties. While employees may have access to certain information to carry out their jobs, this access does not grant them permission to use that data for reasons other than the specific purposes for which they were granted access. Researchers should take care to conduct all business related to the external research project as someone external to the district.
