B02 - [IN-PERSON/RECORDED] Rethinking the Application of Exempt Category 1

This session will be offered in-person and recorded for on-demand access by in-person SBER23 registrants, and PRIMR23/SBER23 Virtual Meeting registrants.

Flexibility is a mental preservative for sanity. - Dr. Jacent Mpalyenkana. Category 1 is unique among the commonly used exemptions; its criteria for use includes no information about how researchers can collect data, and only includes the purpose of the research and where it is being conducted. One of the persistent myths about this category is that interventions and interactions being studied are limited to those that would take place regardless of the research. This essentially limits the research to a little more than observational studies, when in truth many commonly accepted educational practices differ significantly from what "would already be happening." HRPPs need to rethink their use of this imagined restriction and embrace a more expansive use of this Exemption rather than overregulating research.