IRB Review for Dissertation Research Proposals

Before conducting any dissertation research, ACE doctoral candidates must receive approval from the IRB. This section outlines this process.

Process

The steps below outline the process ACE doctoral candidates will go through for IRB submission.

1. Dissertation Proposal (Chapters 1-3) must be completed and approved by Dissertation Committee.
   • Please know that dissertation proposals cannot advance in the review process until they are approved by the Dissertation Committee. 
2. Once the Dissertation Committee approves the Dissertation Proposal, the ACE doctoral candidate will complete the IRB application in MyACE Portal and submit for review by their Dissertation Chair.
3. The Dissertation Chair will review the required documents and forward to the Dissertation Research Reviewer (DRR). 
4. The DRR will review the proposal and application and either return to the ACE doctoral candidate for requested improvements to the proposal and/or application or forward to the IRB for review.
   • If the DRR does not approve the dissertation proposal as it was submitted to them, it will be returned with feedback. This feedback must be considered, and changes need to be made. Once these adjustments have been completed, this will be resubmitted to the DRR for a second review. This process will continue until the DRR approves the dissertation proposal. 
5. The IRB will review the completed application and dissertation proposal. The IRB will either approve or deny the proposal and communicate the decision to all involved parties.
   • If the IRB does not approve the submission, the IRB will provide feedback and provide information about the reason for denial. This feedback must be incorporated before resubmission. 
6. The ACE doctoral candidate can begin research once the official IRB approval letter has been received. 

Criteria for Evaluation of Research Proposals

The IRB’s purpose is to evaluate research proposals in a fair and equitable manner. It is not the task of the IRB to comment on protocols related to research or design unless related to feedback given to ensure the rights of human subjects. The follow questions guide the IRB in determining proposal approval:

• Does the proposal adequately describe a proposed research project?
• Are subjects adequately protected from excessive risks in accordance to the Belmont Principles?
• Does the research plan make adequate provision for monitoring the data collection to ensure the safety of subjects?
• Is the researcher qualified to conduct the research?
• Is the selection of subjects equitable?
• Are the federal policies related to research protocols and informed consent being followed, where appropriate? (Non-exempt research)
• Does the research plan make adequate provision for monitoring the data collection to ensure the safety of subjects?
• Are adequate provisions made to protect the privacy of subjects and to maintain confidentiality?