External Research

The Peel District School Board receives numerous requests from Peel staff, external organizations, partnerships and institutions to conduct studies in Peel Schools. All research requests must first be reviewed by the External Research Screening Committee.

Research that is part of a large scale program of study (i.e., grant proposal, MA Thesis, Doctoral Dissertation) will not be reviewed without an approved university/college research ethics form.

Applications from Peel board staff will not be reviewed without a completed “Dual Role Conflict and/or Conflict of Interest Declaration Form.” In preparation of the Conflict of Interest Form, staff are required to review: (1) Peel District School Board Policy #8, Conflict of Interest, (2) Operating Procedure HRSS #43, Conflict of Interest, and (3) the Research Department’s guidelines regarding dual role conflict and/or conflict of interest. These documents are located on the Board’s intranet website.

Research Request Process

The research request process is as follows:

Application is submitted to the Research & Accountability department two weeks prior to the meeting (see attached schedule). The application form can be saved to your computer, completed, and submitted as an email attachment OR printed and forwarded to the Research & Accountability department.
External Research Screening Committee members review the application, considering factors such as:

cost/benefits for students, teachers and/or school;
overall educational relevance;
potential conflicts of interest;
amount of staff/student time involved;
appropriateness to the time of year;
presence of any ongoing board study or program;
presence of any school's extra activity of exam period;
alignment with system priorities

The applicant will be notified of the committee's decision. The Research & Accountability department will notify principals that their school has been selected for an approved study. Principals who decide to participate in the study do so entirely on a voluntary basis – any principal who feels that the project is not suitable for their staff, students and/or parents are under no obligation to participate.
Please note that the Board does not assist with the recruitment of participants for any External Research project. We cannot provide email addresses of Board staff.
The applicant will forward to the Research & Accountability department copies of all interim and final reports.
All approved applicants/researchers are required to provide an original Criminal Record Check that is satisfactory to the Board prior to the commencement of any research in Peel. The Criminal Record Check must have been executed within the preceding six months of the start of the research project and meet all of the requirements outlined on the attached Information Sheet. The cost of the Criminal Record Check is the sole responsibility of the applicant.