External Investigator Policy

I. Scope

This policy applies to requests from external investigators who want to use Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) community members as research subjects.

II. Policy Statement

IWU permits external investigators to use IWU community members as research subjects under certain conditions.

III. Reason for the Policy

IWU does not want to be completely closed to requests from external investigators to conduct research that expands knowledge or produces insight.  However, a protocol is necessary to protect IWU community members, particularly its students, from “survey fatigue” and other negative consequences.

IV. Procedures 

All requests from external investigators who want to use IWU community members as subjects must have an IWU host who is full-time faculty or staff.  If the external investigator cannot identify a faculty/staff host, the Chair of the IWU IRB may be able to help find a host but may not serve as the host.  External investigators who are students may want to check with faculty advisors at their home institutions for suggestions for possible IWU hosts.  

External investigators may not be on IWU property, communicate through IWU email distribution lists or college directories or through any IWU Department, or request IWU community members to communicate for them through college channels without the approval of the IWU IRB and the appropriate PAU (Principal Academic Unit) head or IWU administrator.  Approval will generally not be given to any proposal that proposes mass emails to students, faculty or staff.

External investigators must provide proof of approval of their proposal from their institution’s IRB (or similar authority) if the institution has one.  External investigators must also present proof of human subjects training, e.g. the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research Certificate of Completion.

All external investigator requests must be directed to the Chair, Institutional Review Board.  The Chair will determine if the requestor has an IWU faculty/staff host and will be the requestor’s point of contact for proposal submission and review by the IWU IRB.

If the external investigator’s proposal is approved by the IWU IRB, the applicable PAU head or IWU administrator will be notified by the IRB of the external investigator’s request to use IWU community members as research subjects.  If approval is granted by the PAU head or IWU administrator, the IRB will notify the external investigator that research may begin.

V. Definitions