Institutional Review Board

The role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to ensure ethical treatment of human subjects in research.

The IRB is an administrative body established by the shared governance system at Adrian College. It implements the Code of Federal Regulations established by the Office of Health and Human Services which provides guidelines in protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects in research. The federal regulations guiding IRB policy can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html. The IRB is assigned the task of providing information and establishing policies and procedures necessary to ensure that human subjects participating in research conducted by Adrian College faculty, staff and students are protected from undue harm.

The IRB at Adrian College

All human subjects research carried out by Adrian College faculty, staff, and students must be carried out in accordance with IRB policies. There are three categories of human subject research.

Before data collection begins on a project involving human subjects, the IRB must review proposed methods and procedures that will be used. This includes:

• Faculty research
• Graduate Student research 
• Research conducted outside the classroom, such as independent or individualized studies
• Class projects that serve as pilot studies, or will be presented outside the classroom - see student research policy.

After approval of the project, data can be collected for one year, renewable. Once a project is started, procedures should not be modified. If changes are necessary, an amendment must be filed with changes.

Training & Certification

Each investigator and co-investigator should complete an on-line training program concerning ethics in research. You can access these forms on BlackBoard.

Deadlines for Submitting Applications

Each application may be read by the IRB Chair, reviewed by select members of the committee or discussed in a full committee. Questions about the process should be directed to the IRB Chair.

The committee will review EXEMPT and EXPEDITED applications on a rolling deadline. Exempt and expedited applications are due on Mondays and applicants should allow a minimum of two weeks for review. The last date for Fall semester submissions (exempt and expedited ONLY) will be 11/30. Spring semester submissions must be submitted by 4/15.

Applications for full review are due by 5:00 p.m. on the due date. Due dates are on the 15th of each month: September, October, and November during the Fall semester and January, February, March, and April during the Spring semester. 

Please contact the IRB chair for information on summer reviews.

Members

• Tina Claiborne 
• Zavin Nazaretian
• Janet Pietrowski
• Christie Boxer, Chair
• John Goetschius 
• Cedrick Heraux
• Ryan Rowe 
• Jennifer Towns
• Erin Garmyn