The CARAS Research Advisory Committee

(RAC) is a community advisory board composed of representatives from alternative sexuality communities served by CARAS and scholars in the sciences and humanities. The RAC brings community members and researchers together to review research proposals for scientific/scholarly merit, ethics, and community benefit. After a proposal is endorsed by the RAC, CARAS may directly support the research by activating resources within subject communities to help with tasks such as outreach/publicity, recruitment, and community feedback.

The RAC review process provides a variety of tangible benefits. These include expert feedback on protocol design, and access to the extended CARAS network of scholars, community leaders, and organizations.  For students and investigators, RAC review may include analysis of ethical and regulatory issues to help prepare for ethics board review (Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the United States; similar international bodies include the REB (Canada) and REC (UK)).  The RAC may review social, behavioral, and biomedical research, including clinical investigations, and also projects located within the arts and humanities.

Proposals need not be based in an academic or research institution to be reviewed by the RAC, but all proposals must provide a description of study objectives and procedures in sufficient detail to allow review by the committee. If applicable, formal CARAS endorsement is based on a final, IRB approved protocol. However, the RAC can conduct a preliminary review of a draft proposal and, if favorable, CARAS can be cited in a protocol/grant application as part of the recruitment plan and as evidence of community support for a proposed project. RAC endorsement is in effect for a period of two years from the date of formal endorsement. Endorsed projects that extend beyond this timeframe may be resubmitted for RAC review.

The RAC application form can be completed here.

All RAC applicants must be current CARAS subscribers. Please note that there is a non-refundable RAC application fee. This fee covers the administrative pre-review of applications, the RAC review process and preparation of feedback, and preparation of final documents.

Frequently asked questions addressing the CARAS Research Support Program (RSP) and Human Research Protections Program (HRPP) are available here.

If you have any questions, please contact rsp@carasresearch.org