LSUHSC Wellness Center Facility Usage for Research Programs Policy

Faculty members of the LSUHSC wishing to utilize the Wellness Center facility, equipment, supplies or staff for the purpose of implementing and/or supporting a research program must meet the following criteria:

1. Applicants must complete an application form and submit the form to the Wellness Center Advisory Committee for review and approval. Within this form applicants must provide a detailed description of the research program to be offered including:

   Target audience (age, gender, race, special needs, etc) and whether it will be an individual or group program. Prerequisites to enrolling into the program/study Exclusions to participation in the program/study No. of days/week or month or if it is a 1-time event Length of each session Suggested day (s) and time Area of center to be utilized at each day and time point: Equipment/supplies required A description of fees that will be charged to participants per session or program. A description of Wellness Center services that the participants will utilize such as health/fitness evaluation, individualized program, personal training (including no. of days per week and minutes per training session) A description of the suggested days/times and equipment/supplies that the research program will require. A description of the supervising staff/faculty other than Wellness Center staff and the education/credentials of this supervising staff. A description of the wellness center staff required during the sessions: a) Student/support, b) Basic (Level I: ACSM Instructor or ACSM Personal Trainer), c) Advanced (Level II: ACSM specialist or CEP), d) Medical (Level III: MD), or e) other and describe. Detailed budget of the research program and specific costs associated with the usage of the Wellness Center.

2. The research program must have been scientifically tested, clinically evaluated and its results published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal or recommended or approved by a national scientific or medical association or organization. Pilot programs will be considered, however, intervention methods must meet university and national scientific or medical association minimum requirements.
3. The research program must have a current LSUHSC IRB approval including current approvals for all participating institutions (e.g. MCLNO, GCRC, Children’s Hospital, etc.) The applicant must provide the IRB approval form, protocol and consent form to the Wellness Center Advisory Committee for review.
4. The research program approved budget must contain sufficient funds to compensate the Wellness Center staff for any additional significant costs associated with the program, maintenance of supplies and equipment (including housekeeping) to be utilized and recovery funds for any damage that may occur to Wellness Center facilities or equipment.
5. Staff and participants of the research program must follow the rules and regulations of the Wellness Center. Failure to do so will result in expulsion of the research program.
6. The research program will not be conducted during Wellness Center peak hours of operation or interfere with routine Wellness Center activities.
7. Recruitment, screening, enrollment and preliminary testing of research program participants will be the responsibility of the research program director and staff unless otherwise specified and budgeted accordingly.
8. All scientific publications resulting from the implementation of the research must be approved by the Wellness Center Advisory Committee prior to submission for review.
9. All television, radio, print media or any other public relations/communications associated with implementation of the research program at the Wellness Center must be approved by the LSUHSC Director of Communications and the Wellness Center Advisory Committee.
10. Research programs will be evaluated annually for re-approval by the Wellness Center Advisory Committee.