External Research Project Guidelines

These guidelines apply to any study requesting the participation of River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) students and/or staff.

1. All projects emanating from agencies external to the division, including division teachers and the department of education, must be approved by the division. 
2. All applications will be screened on the basis of ethics, research methodology, disruptions to the school, benefits to the division, education, and/or society.
3. In general, researchers will not be allowed access to students or staff in May, June, and September because of the large number of activities in schools at these times of year. An exception will be allowed for proposals that:
   1. Demonstrate the necessity of access to schools in May, June, and September.
   2. Allow for sufficient time for the schools to accommodate the research request.
4. In general, research being conducted as part of a course or class will not be approved. Applications by faculty or graduate students conducting academic research as part of a master's or doctoral program will be considered.
5. Non-academic research will be considered provided researchers adhere to the Market Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) Code of Market, Opinion, and Social Research and Data Analytics and the Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association (CIRPA) Code of Ethics.
6. In general, research being conducted by businesses about products or services to be sold for profit will not be approved.
7. External research being conducted by employees of RETSD may be approved provided the following conditions are met:
   1. Research will not be conducted with individuals (staff or students) with whom the employee has a supervisory relationship.
   2. Research will not be conducted at the employee's usual work location.
   3. Research activities will be conducted outside the employee's regular work hours.
8. Conflicts of interest (real, potential, or perceived) must be disclosed in the research application and be included as part of participants' informed consent.
9. Researchers must report to the RETSD research officer any unanticipated issue or event that may increase the risk to participants.
10. In the case of certain tests, applicants will have to demonstrate that the test will be administered by qualified personnel.
11. Any personnel who will be in direct contact with students will be required to have a cleared Child Abuse Registry (CAR) check and a Criminal Record Check (CRC) with a vulnerable sector search dated within one year. These are to be presented to the school administrator prior to being granted access to the students.
12. All research applications should include:
    1. A completed RETSD research application form.
    2. Where applicable, a copy of the ethics approval letter.
    3. All stimulus materials to which students or staff may be exposed and all information and/or parental permission letters to be distributed to students, parents, or staff.
    4. The number of participants required and, if possible, the schools in which you intend to conduct your research.
13. Parent/guardian permission is required for students to participate in any research study. Student assent is also required and student dissent precludes participation.
14. All participants must be informed that they may withdraw from the study at any time.
15. If necessary, RETSD may require a researcher to provide additional information, particularly for studies or parts of studies that seek information concerning confidential aspects of students' or their parents' lives.
16. Researchers of approved projects are required to follow the directions of RETSD regarding all procedures related to the collection of data.
17. The superintendent or designate informs the applicant of the division's decision.
18. Approval by the division does not obligate any school, its staff, or students to participate in a study.
19. The researcher is required to submit a final report of the research to the division. All such reports shall respect the anonymity of all participants.
    1. The researcher is not required by the division to give a report to students, their parents/guardians, or teachers.
    2. If a report is provided, it should contain aggregate data only. In no circumstances shall a researcher reveal individual scores to students or parents without division approval.
    3. The researcher may be requested to do a presentation of the results of the study at any time following the completion of the study.

All applications should be directed to research@retsd.mb.ca