Introduction | Approval Process | Application Requirements | Evaluation of Research Protocols | Principles Guiding the Evaluation of the Research Proposal | Alterations to the Research Design and Methods | Questions | Application

Introduction
University Housing at the University of Michigan welcomes and encourages appropriate research involving University Housing staff and/or residents (including residence hall residents, Northwood Community Apartments residents, or Conference Services guests) or using data on our residents which might prove beneficial to students and staff members in improving residential life and student development. University Housing does, however, require the following.

Approval Process
In order to ensure that the above requirements are appropriately met regarding research involving University Housing residents and staff, the following process of approval for proposed research must be followed.

All research conducted within or requiring access to (a) the University of Michigan residences or (b) data from University Housing systems must be reviewed by University Housing prior to its execution. University Housing reserves the right to temporarily halt any research related to University of Michigan residences until it has been evaluated. In cases where the proposed research does not meet the evaluation criteria, the study must be terminated or postponed until the criteria have been met.

Application Requirements
All proposed research must be approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board (IRB), Office of the Vice President for Research. Please visit the IRB application site for instructions on completing the IRB application.

Student researchers should also include faculty or advisor approval for the research. (A faculty member's signature and contact information is requested on the application form where applicable).

Evaluation of Research Protocols
Research proposals are evaluated by the University Housing Research Evaluation Committee. The committee is chaired by the Coordinator of Research and consists of representatives from the following units within University Housing: Dining Services, Employee Relations, Facilities, Family Housing, Housing Information, and Residence Education. For studies involving specific resident or staff locations, a designee from those locations will be consulted for their input.

Evaluations will proceed in the following manner:

1. Receipt of the application and supporting materials.
   1. Incomplete applications will be returned to the Principal Investigator.
   2. Complete applications will be referred to the Evaluation Committee.
2. The Evaluation Committee will meet to review the application. Principles guiding the evaluation of the research proposal, as articulated below, will be applied.
3. The Evaluation Committee will make one of three determinations concerning the research proposal: 1) "Approve"; 2) "Reject"; or 3) "Approve with condition."
   1. In the event of "Approve with condition," the Evaluation Committee will offer specific directions for necessary changes in the research proposal. The principal investigator then has the responsibility to make said revisions.
   2. If the revisions are not made and resubmitted to the Evaluation Committee will change its determination to "Reject."
4. The Evaluation Committee will notify the Principal Investigator of its decision in writing.
   

Principles Guiding the Evaluation of the Research Proposal
The following principles (in no particular order of importance) will be considered during the evaluation of research proposals:

• Approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required. Visit the online Behavioral Sciences IRB application to get IRB approval
• Research for commercial purposes will not be considered.
• Student researchers must work under the supervision of a member of the faculty.
• Study participants must be made aware that their participation is voluntary.
• All information provided by students must be kept confidential. All researchers are expected to conform to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 with regard to students' rights of privacy.
• Data collected or obtained from research studies must always be reported in the aggregate and the anonymity of the residents and/or staff must be maintained.
• The cost and/or labor on the part of the University Housing staff in helping to fulfill a research request should not be burdensome.
• The study may not infringe upon the academic activities of the students.
• Data collection will not be permitted during the last week of the academic term or during final examinations week.
• Data collection may be postponed if other research or assessment projects are being conducted at the proposed site(s) on or around the date of the research proposal's study.
• When appropriate, feedback, follow-up, and/or counseling should be given to the study's participants.
• All proposed research must be consistent with the goals, philosophies, and policies of University Housing, The Institutional Review Board of the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the University of Michigan.
• Final manuscripts stemming from this research are to be provided to the Housing Research Office and other areas of University Housing, as appropriate.
• Studies that are derogatory and/or prejudicial will not be permitted.
  

Alterations to the Research Design and Methods
Upon approval of the research proposal, an understanding exists between the Principal Investigator and the Evaluation Committee that no changes will be made in the study's design or methods. If any changes to the research study are made after University Housing approval, all modifications must be reported in writing to the Housing Research Office (contact information below) prior to the study's implementation. Modifications to a study must also be reported to the Institutional Review Board. University Housing reserves the right to terminate or postpone the study if the modifications do not conform to the guidelines established in his document.

Questions
Inquiries about the Research Policy should be directed to Michael Zabriskie, Director of Research, by e-mail at housing.research.office@umich.edu. However, if your question is about the IRB approval process, please visit the IRB site for information and contacts.

Application
After you have read all the information on this policy page, please download and print the University Housing Research Approval Application.

Once you obtain IRB approval (via the online Behavioral Sciences IRB application), you will receive a letter from the IRB. Please place this letter and the University Housing Research Approval Application (pdf 20kb) in an envelope along with samples of your research tools and send to:

Michael Zabriskie, Ph.D.
Director of Research
University Housing
1500 SAB
515 E. Jefferson St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1316