WORKFORCE INNOVATION LAB'S RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WORKFORCE HIRING AND TRAINING SURVEY
You are being invited to participate in a research study aimed at understanding
residential buildings workforce hiring and training. Your participation involves completing surveys. Your involvement is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time without any penalties.
Why is this research being done? The purpose of this research is to gain insights into how workers hire and train their workforce. The information collected will help us identify barriers and drivers that affect these perceptions and practices, with the goal of informing strategies to improve the industry.
What should I know about a research study?
- Whether you choose to participate in this research study is strictly up to you.
- You can always choose not to take part. Your participation is voluntary.
- You can ask and have answered all of the questions you want before you decide.
- You can agree to take part and later change your mind without giving any reason.
- Your decision will not be held against you, and there will be no penalty or loss of benefits.
- You do not waive any of your legal rights by signing this form.
What are the predicted risks?
Participating in this study poses minimal risks. Some questions may touch on your professional practices, which could cause minor emotional discomfort. You are free to skip any questions or withdraw from the study at any time.
What are the predicted benefits of the research?
While there are no guaranteed direct benefits to you, your participation may contribute to a broader understanding of worker practices, potentially leading to industry improvements in workforce development and technology adoption.
What happens if I say “yes, I want to be in this research”?
If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete a survey, which should take approximately 10 minutes. You may be invited to participate in a follow-up interview, which would last about 30-45 minutes. Interviews can be conducted either in person or online, based on mutual convenience.
All data collected will be kept confidential. Surveys will be conducted online through secure platforms, and interviews will be audio-recorded with your consent. Data will be stored on encrypted, dual-factor authenticated servers. All identifiable information will be removed from the data collected. After removing identifiers, the data may be used for future research without additional consent.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to the Workforce Innovation Lab at WIL@nrel.gov.
This research has been reviewed and approved by the Central Department of Energy Institutional Review Board (CDOEIRB), an administrative group of people who oversee the rights and welfare of human-research subjects participating in research activities conducted under the auspices of U.S. Department of Energy.
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the research study, or for any other reason, you may contact the CDOEIRB at (865) 574-4359 or at CDOEIRB@orau.org.
You also may ask questions about your rights as a research subject, request to obtain information, or offer input.
If you want to know more about the program, visit the Department of Energy Human Subjects Protection Program website at https://science.osti.gov/ber/human-subject
Are there alternative procedures if I do not want to be in this research?
You can withdraw from the study at any time without any penalty. If you choose to withdraw, you may request that the data collected up to that point be removed.
What happens to the information and data collected for the research?
Your data will be used exclusively for this study. Personally identifiable information such as your name and contact details will be kept confidential and stored securely. The data will be de-identified before analysis and publication. Data will be stored for five years following the study's completion and then securely destroyed.
Will my information be used for future research? All identifiable information will be removed from the data collected. After removing identifiers, the data may be used for future research without additional consent.
What happens if I say yes now but I change my mind later?
Your participation in this study is voluntary. You are free to withdraw your consent and leave the research at any time, and it will not be held against you. Refusal to take part or to stop taking part in the study will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you otherwise are entitled. If you choose, you may request that the data collected about you to date be removed.
If you decide to leave the research, your data will be omitted from studies that could benefit understanding of worker perceptions and implementation of high-performance technologies. If you decide to leave the research, contact the research team at WIL@nrel.gov, in writing so that the research team can remove you from future communications. If you choose to remove your data, the research team will delete your data from the server.
If you sign the consent at the end, it means:
That you have read this form and have had all of your questions answered, and
That you will allow the use and reporting of your data as described above.
Can I be removed from the research study without my consent?
The principal investigator may remove you from the study if you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, fail to follow study procedures, or if continuing participation would not be in your best interest.
What else do I need to know?
This research is being funded by Department of Energy.