Skip Navigation

On [DATE], American Public University System combined with Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing to form a single higher education institution. American Public University System (System) now includes American Public University, American Military University, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing. The System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (APEI). We are continuing to update our website to reflect our new structure.

 

While the IRB reviews request for research involving human subjects, the Internal Research Review Board (IRRB) reviews requests to conduct research with AMU and APU students, faculty, and staff. Researchers interested in conducting research at AMU and APU must submit a “Request to Conduct Research” application. This application can be obtained by emailing apus-irb@apus.edu and should be submitted by the principal investigator. If the proposed research is being done as part of a dissertation or advanced course work, the dissertation chair or lead faculty member must sign the form.

Please note: The application process may take up to one month from the time the application is received until a decision has been made.

AMU and APU receives many applications each year to conduct research with our students, faculty, and staff. As such, not all requests can be accommodated. The following criteria will be used by the Internal Research Review Board to review applications.

  • Overall strength of proposal/validity of research: Research design must be strong and all instruments (e.g. surveys, tests, forms for data collection, etc.) must be included with the application.
  • Ethical soundness: All research involving the AMU and APU community must be ethically sound and carry minimal risk to the community.
  • Cost/benefit to the AMU and APU community: Research conducted with the AMU and APU community should have a direct benefit to the community or to the academy at large.
  • Relationship of the principal investigator (PI) to AMU and APU: Research conducted by PIs who are already part of the AMU and APU community or connected to it may be given priority.
  • Relevance: AMU and APU may prioritize those projects that are relevant to its mission.
  • Survey Fatigue: Number and type of already approved assessments and/or research projects in play for a particular population or on a given topic or research question.
  • Organizational impact: Potential impact on AMU and APU of results of survey being conducted or published.
  • Shareholder and insider information impact:  If information to be researched (subject area, sample and/or sample size) is considered proprietary, confidential or material insider information, this factor alone can veto any research project proposal.