Section 432.5  Criteria by Which Proposed Research Will be Evaluated

a)         Proposed research involving children and families currently or formerly served by the Department submitted to the office designated by the Director, shall meet the following criteria:

1)         offers minimal risk to children and families served by the Department;

2)         assures that the safest procedures are used consistent with sound research design and methodology;

3)         makes adequate provision to protect the privacy rights of children and families and to maintain confidentiality of records;

4)         maintains human dignity;

5)         shows promise of producing, confirming, or otherwise advancing knowledge of child or family emotional or physical conditions;

6)         assures that subjects will be selected in an equitable manner consistent with the goals of the research whenever appropriate;

7)         assures that adults, older children and infants have been considered in that order for participation in the proposed research wherever appropriate; and

8)         assures that, when feasible, the research will be used for diagnostic and treatment purposes to directly benefit participating subjects.

b)         The time and inconvenience requested of children and families participating in research and the extra workload that may be borne by Department staff must be justified by the expected benefits derived from the research, and the soundness of the research design.

c)         Selection of children and families who may participate in research will not be based solely on administrative convenience, availability of a population living in conditions of social or economic deprivation, or convenient access to the population.