Determination of Human Subjects Research

American College of Education realizes that it has responsibility for protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research at ACE. ACE also accepts responsibility for following the local, state and federal laws that relate to the research. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) will review, approve, reject or require changes in research involving human subjects. ACE IRB will ensure that informed consent will be obtained by the researchers using human subjects. In addition, it will carefully evaluate those proposals that involve vulnerable subjects, including those using children below the age of 18.

Human Subject: A living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with the Individual or through identifiable private information.

Minimal Risk: The probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

• The IRB reviews all proposals for research and will determine whether or not the proposal involves the use of human subjects.
• The IRB will determine whether the risks of the research are reasonable with regards to the benefits. Similarly, the IRB will evaluate the benefits of the research to the participants.
• The IRB will review the proposal regarding the selection of the research participants. In addition, it will carefully evaluate proposals that include subjects from vulnerable populations such as children below 18 years of age, prisoners, cognitively impaired persons, and pregnant women. To ensure appropriate review of these populations, the IRB will consult with a specialized reviewer as needed.
• The IRB will review the method to be used for identification of participants, as well as the confidentiality of both the participants and the information provided by these participants.
• The IRB will examine the informed consent process that will be used by the researchers.