IAN Subject Recruitment Instructions

IAN Research is an online longitudinal database and research registry created to accelerate autism research. In its first year, IAN Research registered over 22,000 participants, including over 8,000 individuals with ASD.

Autism researchers can apply to recruit subjects through IAN by following the simple procedures outlined below.

Please note first that:

• Only research projects based in the USA are eligible to recruit subjects through IAN.  (The IAN data set, however, is available to researchers worldwide.)
• The IRB approving the project described in this application must be either (1) fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP), or 2) be at an academic medical center and approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).
• The project must be focused in whole or in part on advancing our understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) or their treatment.

The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) requires the following documents from researchers wishing to recruit subjects through IAN:

1. IAN Online Subject Recruitment Application Form

This is the first step in the IAN subject recruitment process. Please complete this online form which can be accessed by clicking here.

This is an online form you can complete from your computer.

2. Copy of IRB Approval for Your Research Study

We will need evidence that your study is approved by an IRB.

We do not need an original signature for this document. Therefore, you may mail it to the address below, fax it to 443-923-4145, or e-mail it to researchteam@IANproject.org.

3. Subject Recruitment Template Letter

We will need evidence of IRB approval of the recruitment letter that will be sent to prospective recruits by IAN Research on your behalf. A Sample Letter is provided for your convenience.

We do not need an original signature for this document. Therefore, you may mail it to the address below, fax it to 443-923-4145, or e-mail it to researchteam@IANproject.org.

Please also send a copy of your IRB-approved recruitment letter in editable text (e.g. in MS Word) to researchteam@IANproject.org.

Please indicate to your IRB that the IAN Project will inform families about your study in two distinct ways: via e-mail (for IAN Research families meeting your study criteria) and via the IAN Community Research Opportunities Bulletin Board (for the public at large).

(If your IRB does not approve of a posting on the IAN Community Research Opportunities Bulletin Board, or if you simply would prefer not to post your study there, please inform the IAN team at researchteam@IANproject.org.) 

4. Original Signed Copy of the IAN Research Database Subject Recruitment Agreement

This document states the nature of the relationship between the IAN Research Database and the researcher. An original signed copy will be required as part of the application process. Please sign and mail an original copy of this IAN Research Database Subject Recruitment Agreement to:

IAN Research, Department of Medical Informatics
Kennedy Krieger Institute
1st Floor Painter Building
3825 Greenspring Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21211

For this document, we must have an original signature.
Please mail. Do not fax or e-mail.

If you need any assistance, please e-mail us at researchteam@IANproject.org.  We are here to help!