College Administration

Institutional Effectiveness & Research

Institutional Review Board

The National Research Act, passed by Congress in 1974, directs all institutions receiving federal support for research and evaluation studies, including universities, public schools, hospitals and nonprofit organizations, to establish Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

The purpose of the IRB is to review research requests conducted by Wake Tech employees or researchers from other institutions on its premises or under its sponsorship. The IRB will exempt or approve and regulate any proposed research protocol involving human subjects, including all behavioral or social research studies, which includes evaluation and educational research.

The IRB is guided by the following federal regulations and Wake Tech policies:

Chair: Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Research

Members:

  • Chief Academic Officer
  • Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services
  • Vice President of Information Technology Services
  • Vice President of Workforce Development
  • Curriculum Registrar
  • Workforce Development Registrar
  • Senior Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation
  • Director of Data Analytics

Submit a completed Exemption Summary Protocol Form if you are interested in conducting research. The review process may vary, typically ranging from two to six weeks, depending on the type of research being conducted.

  • If your research includes data sharing, please review and complete a draft without signatures of the Data Sharing Agreement and include it with the Exemption Summary Protocol Form. The IRB will review and contact you for any revisions. Signatures will be procured after final draft is approved.
  • If the research you want to conduct cannot be categorized on the summary form, email [email protected] with a description of your research for IRB review and next steps.
  • If the research includes the administration of a survey, please review Wake Tech's Survey Policy.

Submit a completed Extension/Modification Request Form if you have an approved form on file and want to extend your research after one year.