Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) For Federally Funded Child Welfare Research and Evaluation

The Children’s Bureau strongly encourages discretionary grant recipients to submit their required evaluations for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review or to apply for an exemption. Not all grant recipients, however, are familiar with the IRB process and their responsibilities for pursuing IRB review and approval.

This brief introduces IRB basics to discretionary grant recipients and other child welfare organizations. Details include different layers of IRB review and the potential need for multiple approvals based on funder, agency, and evaluator guidelines. It also informs readers about IRBs created by tribal territories and communities to reflect their unique cultural values, governance structures, and approaches to research oversight.

The authors conclude with challenges shared by grant recipients—including working with IRBs that focus heavily on methodological and technical issues—and a reminder to ensure that research conforms to both high methodological and ethical standards.