EXTERNAL REQUESTS TO USE WELLESLEY COLLEGE MEMBERS AS RESEARCH SUBJECTS

PROCESS FOR REVIEWING EXTERNAL REQUESTS TO USE
WELLESLEY COLLEGE MEMBERS AS RESEARCH SUBJECTS

Individuals who wish to conduct research using Wellesley College members must receive prior approval through an institutional review process, followed by a human subjects review process according to College IRB guidelines. Wellesley College faculty, staff, and students typically seek institutional approval through their academic department, followed by appropriate human subjects review. External researchers must receive institutional approval from the OIR/Office of the Dean of the College and human subjects approval through the Wellesley College Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) coordinates the institutional review of external requests to use Wellesley College members as research subjects.

I. Institutional Review conducted by OIR /Dean of the College
For this first step in the review process, individuals should submit a one to two page proposal to the OIR (either an email with attachments to lbaldwin, or a hard copy to Lawrence M. Baldwin, Office of Institutional Research, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481). Proposals to be reviewed by the OIR and the Office of the Dean of the College should include:

• Purpose of the study
• Proposed sample specifications
• Timing of the study
• Method of data collection
• Description of how results will be used
• Explanation of any commercial application of study results
• Reason why Wellesley College should be the study site
• Data or other assistance needed from Wellesley College to conduct the study
• CV’s of principal investigator(s) and individuals who would have contact with Wellesley College subjects
• Source of funds for the study

Researchers may contact the Office of Institutional Research (781/283-3183) for assistance. The OIR will handle notification of review. If approved in this first step, proposals must then be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board.

II. Human Subjects Review conducted by the Institutional Review Board
Upon approval by the OIR/Office of the Dean of the College, researchers should download the IRB guidelines at http://www.wellesley.edu/SponsRes/policies.html. External researchers may submit their IRB materials by e-mail to Nancy Marshall, chair of the IRB, at nmarshal@wellesley.edu, followed by mailing one hard copy to Dr. Marshall, at Center for Research- Cheever House, Wellesley College, 106 Central St, Wellesley, MA 02481. The IRB will notify the applicant of the outcome of this review.

NOTE: Projects approved by the OIR/Dean of the College and the IRB agree to reimburse Wellesley for any costs the College incurs due to the project. Additionally, the College requires that copies of the data collected at this site as well as written products of the research project be supplied to the Office of Institutional Research.

Contact: Lawrence Baldwin, lbaldwin
Office of Institutional Research, Stone Center 413
Phone (781) 283-3183  Fax (781) 283-3698
Date created: June 30, 2003, by Angie Evans, aevans
Updated: 9/18/2007

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