R495-820-4. Administrative Support

  (1) The DHS IRB has limited resources and cannot review proposals that are not supported by the facility or program administrators who have authority over the publicly-funded client population or client data. To submit a research proposal, a researcher must acquire:

  (a) Prior written approval of the proposal from the facility and program administrator of each program where a member of the client population receives services funded directly or indirectly by the Department;

  (i) the proposal must clearly describe what administrative or other support, if any, the facility, program, or staff may be asked to provide;

  (ii) approval of a proposal does not obligate DHS to provide a researched with any requested administrative or other support; and

  (b) Approval from the applicable division director or gatekeeper. The gatekeepers will only process and submit to the DHS IRB proposals that they have approved.

  (2) In the sole discretion of DHS, if the volume of research requests becomes too great for the Divisions to process, the Division directors or designees reserve the right to suspend or postpone their review of study requests. DHS cannot guarantee responses or reviews within any particular timeframe. The Division director or designee also reserves the right, in their sole discretion and based upon their professional judgment, to deny any study request that conflicts or interferes with the best interest of programs or the safety of the publicly-funded client population.