Research, Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness

Mission

The mission of the Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE) is to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive research program to support research competencies in study design, statistics, and scholarly writing; to support and manage external research funding; and to uphold ethical human research. RAIE is also responsible for implementing a university assessment program to measure institutional effectiveness and help Palo Alto University (PAU) meet its goals, objectives, and compliance with all accreditation and regulatory standards and requirements.

The Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness is committed to:

• Supporting PAU researchers and students in research design and statistics
• Supporting and helping build competencies in academic and scientific writing.
• Helping secure, support, and successfully manage external funding for faculty, staff, and students to conduct university research.
• Guiding, supporting, and managing human research protocols that are effective, ethical, and aligned with the university’s mission for PAU researchers.
• Implementing a comprehensive assessment program aligned with the university’s mission.
• Serving as a resource to faculty, students, and staff on matters related to: human subjects research; external grant funding; research-related academic support in research design and data analyses and scientific writing; as well as university assessment, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness.

Contact Information:

• Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness: RAIE@paloaltou.edu
• Grant Office: GrantsOffice@paloaltou.edu
• Institutional Review Board: IRB@paloaltou.edu
• Research Design and Data Analysis (RDDA): RDDA@paloaltou.edu
• Writing Studio: WritingStudio@paloaltou.edu

Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness

Within Palo Alto University’s Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE), Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness (AIE) cultivates a culture of assessment, continuous improvement, and institutional effectiveness. AIE helps the PAU community and institution understand, promote, and improve academic and institutional effectiveness to help the university meet its goals and objectives and ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards, including the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Below are assessment and institutional effectiveness activities and resources at PAU:

• Assessment

  • Oversee the collection and analysis of data related to student learning outcomes, institutional effectiveness, and academic program review.
  • Collaborate with academic departments and other institutional stakeholders to ensure that assessment data is used to inform decision-making and improve institutional effectiveness.
  • Training & Resources
    • Institutional Learning Goals
    • Assessment Committee
    • Annual Assessment Summit
    • Accreditation
    • Academic Program Review
    • Training & Resources

• Institutional Effectiveness
  • Measure and support institutional effectiveness, continuous improvement, and adhere to WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) accreditation standards and requirements. For more information, go to the PAU Accreditation page.

Grants Office

The Palo Alto University’s Grants Office, within the Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE), supports the development, submission, and management of externally funded projects. We partner with and train faculty, staff, and students to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive proposals. We manage awards through the grant lifecycle in alignment with sponsor and institutional requirements.

Through collaborative and equitable practices, we strengthen institutional capacity for research, scholarship, and innovation that advances PAU’s mission and impact.

The Grants Office Services Request Form includes the following options:

• Consultation (e.g., discuss research or project ideas, identify funding opportunities, proposal planning and timelines)
• Pre-Proposal Review (e.g., new grant application, foundation application, Letter of Intent, concept paper)
• Resubmission/Revision (e.g., address reviewer comments, resubmit an unfunded proposal, update subaward documents​, Just-in-Time requests)
• Institutional Signing Request (e.g., Data Use Agreement, Letter of Support, ​Authorized ​Signing Official request)

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Within the Palo Alto University (PAU) Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE), the PAU Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) facilitates research excellence through Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. The PAU HRPP supports the University's research initiative by ensuring the protection of rights, safety, and welfare of research participants.

The IRB ensures that PAU research is in compliance with all pertinent federal regulations, state laws, and institutional policies. The IRB promotes the ethical and legal conduct of human subjects research and provides guidance to regulatory requirements to PAU researchers.

• Federal Wide Assurance (FWA): 00010885
• IRB Registration: 00010258
• Contact information: IRB@paloaltou.edu
• For more information, please go to the IRB Website.

Research Design and Data Analysis (RDDA)

The Research Design and Data Analysis (RDDA) Center, housed within the Palo Alto University (PAU) Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE), provides research consultation, resources, and educational support to PAU students, faculty, and staff engaged in behavioral science research. RDDA supports students throughout their time at PAU by providing guidance at every stage of the research process, both online and in person. Through consultation and mentorship in research design, methodological approaches, statistical analysis planning, and the interpretation of results, RDDA empowers researchers to develop the knowledge and skills needed to conduct rigorous, meaningful behavioral science research.

RDDA collaborates with the PAU Grants Office and Institutional Review Board (IRB) to support the development of research projects that align with applicable regulations, institutional policies, ethical standards, and funding requirements. In partnership with these offices, RDDA helps ensure that research is not only methodologically rigorous but also aligned with institutional, ethical, regulatory, and funding requirements. Through consultation on research design and statistical methodologies, RDDA supports researchers in developing high-quality behavioral science studies that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and support the mission of Palo Alto University.

• Contact information: RDDA@paloaltou.edu
• For more information, please go to the RDDA website.

Writing Studio

Within the Palo Alto University (PAU) Office of Research, Assessment, and Institutional Effectiveness (RAIE), the Writing Studio helps writers throughout the academic programs improve their scholarly writing skills through one-on-one meetings, workshops, and online resources. Our coaches understand the writing demands of Psychology, Counseling, and Social Work programs, including research papers, APA formatting, and professional documentation.

• Contact information: WritingStudio@paloaltou.edu
• For more information, please go to the Writing Studio website or the Writing Studio webpage in MyPAU.