Tribal TANF Institutional Review Board (IRB) Outreach

Instrument 1

Tribal Research Approval Process Survey

Introduction

This brief, six-question, survey asks about the process for gaining approval for involving your Tribal TANF program in a research or evaluation study.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) contracted with MEF Associates, a small social policy research firm, and Kauffman and Associates, an American Indian woman-owned research and consulting firm, to conduct the Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study. The purpose of the Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study is to hear directly from Tribal communities about their experiences with Tribal TANF, including their challenges and successes, and their recommendations for future directions for Tribal TANF. The Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study is not an evaluation of Tribal TANF. Rather, it is an opportunity to hear directly from Tribal TANF staff and participants about their wisdom and perspectives on the program and how ACF can better support Tribal TANF. It is hoped that this will lead to strategies and next steps to improve the Tribal TANF program for future generations of AIAN families.

The Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study team will seek tribal approval for all study activities and data collection will not begin without Tribal approval. We hope to gain approval for Tribal leaders, Tribal TANF program staff, and Tribal TANF participants who are part of your community to share their knowledge as part of the Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study.

Your responses to this survey will be used to help us learn how to gain appropriate Tribal approval for engaging with your community.

This survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete.

A government agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0531 and the expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX.

If you have any questions about this effort, please contact the project directors:
MEF Project Director Emily Schmitt (emily.schmitt@mefassociates.com) and KAI Project Director Tyler LaPlaunt (tyler.laplaunt@kauffmaninc.com)  

Your participation is voluntary. By proceeding, you give your consent to participate in this survey. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Survey

1. What is the name of your Tribal TANF program?

2. What is the name of the Tribe or Tribal consortium that administers your Tribal TANF program?

3. The Tribe that sponsors my Tribal TANF program has a formalized process for approving research projects on tribal lands and/or with tribal citizens.

   1. Yes

   2. No

   3. I don’t know/unsure

4. If yes to Q3: Who approves research activities for your Tribal TANF program (check all that apply)?

   1. My Tribal government

   2. A Tribal IRB or Tribal Research Review Board that serves my tribe only

   3. A Tribal IRB or Tribal Research Review Board that serves multiple tribes

   4. A Tribal College or University

   5. An Indian Health Services IRB

   6. Other (please explain)

   7. I don’t know/unsure

5. If selected 4c: What is the name for the Tribal IRB or Tribal Research Review Board that approves research for your Tribe?

6. If selected 4d: What is the name of the Tribal College or University that approves research for your Tribe?

7. If selected 4e: Which Indian Health Services IRB approves research for your Tribe?

8. If yes or “I don’t know/unsure” to Q3: Please share information about the research review process, to the extent that you know it:

9. Who should we follow up with to learn more about the research approval for the Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data study?

   1. Follow up with me

   2. Follow up with someone else (please share name and contact information).

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Based on your responses to these questions, we may follow up with you or the person you identified in Question 6 to learn more about the research approval process for your Tribal TANF program.