Conducting Research in GCPS

• Complete the GCPS IRB Local School Research Request Form
  • Emailed proposals will not be accepted. 
• Proposals are reviewed monthly.
  • Research applications received by the first Monday of each month will receive a decision letter by the fourth Friday of the month.
  • All other proposals are reviewed according to the schedule as outlined in the timeline above. 
• GCPS employees submitting a research proposal for the fulfillment of a master’s or doctoral degree.
  • Proposals must be approved by the major professor or faculty advisor.
  • The major professor or faculty advisor must be a college/university staff member. 

• Complete the GCPS IRB Standard Research Proposal Form
  • Emailed proposals will not be accepted. 

• Proposals are reviewed according to the submission deadline and decision dates included in the table above.

GCPS does not accept research proposals for the fulfillment of master’s or doctoral programs from non-GCPS employees. 

Researchers may submit the same proposal a maximum of 2 times to the GCPS IRB. If your proposal was denied and you have only submitted once, you may revise your submission based on the feedback you received and re-submit in the next IRB review cycle. Use the same IRB Research Proposal form and indicate that this is a re-submission.

Yes.

The GCPS IRB operates independently from your institution’s, and its decision is separate from the institutional approval. The GCPS IRB reviews research proposals based on our specific standards and criteria, ensuring alignment with district goals and legal obligations.  

No.
Please see our IRB review schedule for the next available submission window. 

Yes.

Approval is valid for one calendar year from the approval date unless explicitly approved for a multi-year study. Researchers can request extensions or modifications, and multi-year studies require annual status reports. 

Both primary research (collecting data from or about participants) and secondary research (analyzing existing data) require approval. Primary research necessitates informed consent, especially for minors. 

Researchers must notify the GCPS IRB of study completion and provide a final report or executive summary outlining key findings. Extensions, modifications, and final reports are submitted to irb@gcpsk12.org. 

No. 

GCPS does not currently accept Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposals for master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, or other programs leading to an academic degree from non-GCPS employees.

Yes.
GCPS employees can request an expedited review for research conducted outside of work duties and hours. Expedited reviews are conducted monthly, and decisions are communicated within four weeks of submission. 

Researchers can submit a maximum of two modification and extension requests. If the study changes significantly from the approved proposal, a new research proposal may be required. 

No.

Researchers must submit all required consent and/or assent forms to the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Analytics before commencing data collection from GCPS staff, students, or families. 

Standard reviews are conducted quarterly, and participants are notified of approval or non-approval within seven weeks of submission.  

Researchers can visit the official GCPS website, gcpsk12.org/research for the most up-to-date information on quarterly review dates and other relevant details regarding the GCPS IRB process.