Policy for Research in the School of Family Life (SFL) Child & Family Studies Laboratories (CFS Labs)

1. BYU faculty who wish to access children, parents, and/or teachers from the SFL CFS Labs for the purpose of conducting research will complete and submit an official application form to the Director of the CFS Labs (1099 JFSB) August 1^st for consideration for fall semester.  The application form includes a proposal that will include an outline of any research needs.  Notification of the acceptance of the proposal will be given by August 15^th.  Any research proposal submitted beyond the August 1^st deadline will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
2. After notification of acceptance, obtain IRB approval.
3. After the BYU IRB approval is secured, please provide a copy of the IRB approved proposal to the Director of the CFS Labs.  The proposed research project will be directed to the director of the School of Family Life for review.  The director and the SFL director (or CFSL Steering Committee chair) will evaluate the research proposal for procedures and methodology (e.g., is the protocol appropriate for the age-groups). If they determine that there is a problem with the protocol and or methodology, he/she will consult with at least one or more Steering Committee member in resolving the concern.
4. The Steering Committee and CFS Labs director will do the best they can to accommodate all reasonable BYU research projects (for example, stagger start times within semesters, alternating semesters, etc.).
5. In the event there are multiple or competing/conflicting research demands for use of the labs in any given semester, the CFSL Steering Committee will evaluate all competing proposals using the following guidelines:
   
   1. BYU faculty research has priority over graduate student research.
   2. BYU faculty research from the College of Family Home and Social Science has priority over faculty research from other colleges.
   3. One consideration in assessing priority will be whether the proposed research project will be helpful to a faculty member seeking continuing faculty status. 
6. Appeal process:  In the event that the research petitioner has a disagreement with the decision of the SFL Steering Committee’s ruling regarding research priority, scheduling, or appropriateness a written appeal can be made to the School of Family Life Executive Council (SFL Director and Executive Council) who will render a final decision.

If a research project requires direct contact with children:

1. Background Clearance: All research assistants and faculty members must obtain a background check prior to the start of the research project.

• Faculty members receive a background clearance by calling the Faculty Relations Office.
• Paid research assistants receive a background clearance through Student Employment at no cost to the student or faculty. The CFSL Director submits a list of RA names and ID numbers to student employment for a basic background clearance.
• As needed, the Director and Human Resource Employee Relations office will set up a TrueScreen account to run background checks on any RA taking a class for credit. The cost of the basic background check is paid by the faculty.

2. The CFSL director registers all RA's with the University's Minor Protection committee. They 'clear' all RA's prior to starting the research project. They will review background checks and ensure all students have completed a 20-minute online 'child protection training'. See below how to enroll in that course. 

To access:

1. Go to byu.edu
2. Click on myBYU and log in with your net ID
3. Go to the “Work” section
4. Click on Training LMS
5. In the search bar, type “child protection”
6. Click on “Child Protection Training”
7. Click “Enroll”
8. Click "Start"
9. Click "Start" a final time to start the training. 

Please contact the director Anne Ure at anne_ure@byu.edu if there are any questions.

Research Request Form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Noo7gGT2xU1fGeZEad5y0Aae4ckW6qY/view?usp=sharing