Black Girls Dive Foundation (BGDF) received IRB and Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) approval from the Department of Health and Human Services. The FWA is an assurance of compliance with the U.S. federal regulations for the protection of human subjects in research. It is approved by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) for all human subjects research conducted or supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FWA is also approved by OHRP for federal wide use, which means that other U.S. federal departments and agencies that have adopted the U.S. Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (also know as the Common Rule) may rely upon the FWA for the research they conduct or support. An FWA is the only type of assurance currently accepted and approved by OHRP.
BGDF’s newly constituted institutional review board (IRB) comprise of individuals from the community, and the educational, social science, medical and legal field. This accomplishment is a part of a much larger strategic research agenda that BGDF will embark upon to create a space for scholarly research and discussion on equity, equality and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) spaces. The Alfred & Bernice Winrow Institute for STEM Equity, Equality and Inclusion Research serves as the engine to drive this laser-focused agenda and will position itself to be a public square for national conversations and scholarly discussion on teaching and learning within STEM spaces across the African Diaspora. A manifestation of this effort and work will be seen in the institute’s inaugural academic journal, “Pedagogy across the African Diaspora,.”
