Institutional Review Board (IRB)
This site contains
information about the UAHuntsville Institution Review Board, as well as
its policies and
application procedures.
All research involving human subjects must be approved by an
Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Federal Government establishes
special regulations (Title
45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46) to assure the
safety of all human subjects involved in research. UAHuntsville and its IRB maintain a
strong commitment to treating human subjects ethically and to
following all Federal Regulations. IRB
approval constitutes assurance that research involving human subjects
meets these Regulations and is designed to treat participants fairly
and ethically.
Since UAHuntsville does not have a medical school, the majority of our
IRB applications come from human sciences (psychology and sociology),
human factors engineering, and nursing. A smaller number of
applications come from biotechnology, engineering, administrative
science, communication arts, and political science.
If your research involves human subjects and you would like to request
IRB approval of your research from UAHuntsville, first determine the
kind of approval you require.
For
guidance on whether you should apply for Expedited Review, Exemption from Review,
or Full Review,
see "How Do I Apply?"
If you are not sure whether your research involves human subjects, see "Do I Need IRB Approval?"
Next, complete
all appropriate application forms. You will find links to these forms on the right sidebar.
All applications for approval of new
research must submit Form 1; one of Forms 2, 3, or 4; Forms 6 or 7 as
appropriate; and a sample consent form as appropriate. Applications for
renewal
of research previously approved by UAHuntsville's IRB need submit only
Form 5.
For
guidance on which forms are appropriate, see
"How Do I Apply?"
For guidance on whether your research requires
informed consent and the required elements of a consent form, see
"On Informed Consent."
For checklists designed to help you complete your application, see "Checklists & Samples."
If you have questions about how to complete any of the
application
materials, please email them to Dr. Pam O'Neal, IRB Chair,
at irb@uah.edu or call him at 256.824.2338. Please
include the phrase <Application Question> in your subject
line.
Finally, email your completed application to Dr. Pam O'Neal, IRB
Chair, at irb@uah.edu.
For
more information about the application process, see "How Does IRB Work?"
For information on the people who constitute the UAHuntsville
IRB, see "Who Is IRB?"
If your research has been
approved by another
IRB and you would like supplemental approval from UAHuntsville's IRB,
email Dr. Pam O'Neal, IRB Chair, at irb@uah.edu.
Please also submit the appropriate forms (see above for
details)
and attach an electronic copy of your IRB approval letter.
If
you are a participant in research approved by UAHuntsville's IRB and
have concerns about your treatment during participation, please contact
Dr. Pam O'Neal, IRB Chair, by email at irb@uah.edu,
by phone at 256.824.2338, or in person at Morton Hall 332B.
Please include the phrase <Research Participation
Concern>
in your subject line.
If you are a faculty member who supervises several students doing
research that involves human subjects and you would like your students
to have special instruction on the IRB application process, please contact Dr. Pam O'Neal via email at irb@uah.edu.
Presentations concerning IRB applications can include any of the
following elements: the history of IRB; rationale for Federal
Regulations regarding research involving human subjects; case studies
of ethical and unethical research involving human subjects; and
tutorials on any part of the IRB application process. Please
include the phrase <IRB Instruction> in your subject line.