Researchers not affiliated with Alverno College (external researchers) must request and receive Alverno approval before conducting research at Alverno College or recruiting Alverno affiliated human subjects.
For research on human subjects there are two distinct Alverno approval processes. Step 1 is Alverno institutional approval, and Step 2 is Alverno IRB approval.
For Step 1, the initial contact is the Alverno College Research and Evaluation Council (REC) chair. With guidance and supporting forms from the REC Chair, the researcher submits:
1. a written description of the proposed research sufficient to appropriately evaluate its quality in the context of its purposes, scope, and readiness to proceed,
2. a statement of anticipated benefits/burdens to Alverno College, and
3. plans for negotiating with representative(s) of Alverno College whether and how their perspectives are included in any descriptions of the college’s practices.
For Step 2, the external researcher makes a separate submission to the Alverno College IRB, which holds responsibility for the protection of human subjects.
Overview: A pdf chart of the Two Approval Processes for Researchers External to Alverno provides an overview of the sequenced steps. The overview maps the processes in relation to communications with the researcher and, internally, across departments within the college.
