The NYC DOE Institutional Review Board

The New York City Department of Education Institutional Review Board (NYC DOE IRB) reviews all requests to conduct research in the NYC Public Schools. Any research being conducted in schools or with NYC public school students, staff, or affiliates must be reviewed and approved by the NYC DOE IRB to ensure it complies with DOE policies, protects the privacy of students, parents, and staff, and does not disrupt the work of our schools.

The NYC DOE IRB must review and approve any research within its jurisdiction. This jurisdiction includes, but is not limited to:

Many internal program evaluation, continuous improvement, and other activities occur in NYC public schools that are not technically considered human subjects research (HSR). However, in some cases the NYC DOE IRB may conduct a DOE Research Policy Review for non-HSR evaluations if they involve students, are conducted by an external party, and were not initiated on the DOE’s behalf. Please reach out to the IRB inbox (IRB@schools.nyc.gov) if you have questions about if your study needs to be reviewed by the IRB.

Types of IRB Oversight

NYC DOE IRB is IRB of Record

DOE Research Policy Review

Depending on the type of study and the extent to which DOE affiliates are engaged in the research, the NYC DOE IRB may conduct different levels of review.

When to submit a protocol

Do I need to submit a protocol to the NYC DOE IRB?

Your study will need to be reviewed and approved by the NYC DOE IRB if either of the following conditions apply:

Questions to consider: