The Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) recognizes the value of high-quality research for advancing the field of educational practice. All research conducted within the district not specifically carried out by district employees, as part of their duties and is not directed by district contract, requires advance approval from the district’s Institutional Research Board (IRB) Committee. This includes research by district employees or students outside the district seeking an advanced degree and research by outside professionals or agencies. The purpose of the policy and procedure at Fresno Unified is to protect the rights, health and privacy of human subjects used in research.
Only proposals that have a clear, direct, and immediate benefit to the district in terms of informing practice, not merely to advance knowledge, will be considered for approval. Proposals should be well-designed, relevant to educational practice, and aligned to district goals. The district approves a limited number of studies annually, and we are limited in our ability to provide access to student data. Stringent qualifying criteria have been set regarding eligibility to conduct research, the quality of the research proposal, the importance of the study topics to the district, how much time is required of students and/or staff, and in what schools the studies may take place. Proposals must contain all required elements as outlined in the FUSD IRB Guidelines 2023-24. In addition to completing the online application form, you will need to submit a completed FUSD IRB Affidavit of Non-Release by Researcher 2023-24. Please review our IRB FAQs for more information.
The FUSD IRB Committee only reviews applications on the following dates:
- September 15, 2023
- November 17, 2023
- January 19, 2024
- March 15, 2024
- June 3, 2024
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The FUSD IRB Committee will NOT make any exceptions for applications received after the review dates above. The IRB Committee may decline, or approve the proposed project for a period of one year or less. Research proposals that span multiple years, the researcher must re-obtain approval each year. Researcher shall certify that they will use no school, district, or persons’ names in the publication of findings without the expressed written approval of the Superintendent or designee.
Please complete our FUSD Online Application to Conduct Research and completed Affidavit prior to submitting your proposal application to Ricky Vang at Ricky.Vang@fresnounified.org.