Internal Institutional Data Collections and IRB

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Internal institutional data collections are typically not considered research^* and, therefore, review by the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) is not required. Internal data collections are most often used to change/improve a campus service. Examples include:

Surveys of dining preferences
Evaluations of student satisfaction for accreditation reports
Exit surveys for graduates or employees
Surveys to determine residence hall programming needs

If an internal institutional data collection follows the examples and purpose stated above (i.e., to change/improve a campus service), IRB review is not required. If you have any questions on whether a proposed internal institutional data collection requires IRB review, please contact the IRB Office.

^{*Research is defined as: “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” [45 CFR 46.102(d)] Generalizable knowledge is information which has the potential to be expanded from the isolated circumstances in which it is acquired to any broader context.}