The IRB is a diverse group of scientific and non‐scientific individuals who conduct the initial and ongoing review of research studies in order to ensure the protection of the rights, safety, and well‐being of human subjects participating in those studies. The federal code of regulations governs the composition and conduct of the IRB. (Title 45: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html)

The IRB is only charged with reviewing research that involves people as research participants.

Your project needs to be reviewed if it meets the following criteria:

a.The research is a systematic investigation (including development, testing, and evaluation) designed to discover or contribute to a body of generalizable knowledge.
b.It involves human participants. Human participants include those who are actively involved in the research process (being interviewed, filling out surveys, etc.). They also include those who may not be in front of us: those who provided medical or biological samples, left records of their activities through applying for marriage licenses, etc. The IRB reviews research that involves living individuals (1) about whom "an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with the individual" or (2) which "obtains, uses, studies, analyzes, or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens."(Title 45 CFR, Part 46.102.f). Secondary data analysis of existing datasets where participants are individually identifiable should be reviewed by the IRB. 

No. Research must be approved by the IRB before research can be conducted.

Please contact The IRB Office at irb‐review@andrew.cmu.edu or 412‐268‐7166.

Protocols are created and submitted online via SPARCS https://www.cmu.edu/research-office/sparcs/index.html.  If you do not have access to SPARCS please request access by submitting a request: https://www.cmu.edu/research-office/sparcs/helprequest/index.html

To complete the required education go to CITI's website: https://www.citiprogram.org/

Follow the CITI login instructions [PDF] to access the CITI training site. Note that a study cannot be IRB approved until all study team members have completed their training.

There are three types of IRB review: Exempt, Expedited and Full Board. The level of review depends on the risk to the human participants. The IRB makes the determination of level.
a. Exempt ‐ Studies that meet explicit criteria set forth by the federal regulations.
b. Expedited ‐ Studies that involve minimal risk and meet explicit criteria set forth in federal regulations.
c. Full ‐ Studies that do not meet criteria for Exempt or Expedited Review and are usually greater than minimal risk are reviewed by the Full Board. Examples are studies that involve vulnerable populations or include questions of a sensitive nature.

Research projects that involve human participants may meet the criteria for exempt review.   Examples of studies in this category include anonymous questionnaires or surveys that do not involve sensitive topics, research being conducted in educational settings involving normal curriculum, benign behavioral interventions and secondary research. For information as to whether a study meets the criteria for exempt review, please refer to Guidance and Forms page.  Research meeting the Exempt criteria needs to be approved by the IRB.  

Expedited review protocols are studies that pose no more than minimal risks to the participants and meet the criteria for Expedited Review under 45 CFR 46.110. Examples include studies using questionnaires, surveys, and interviews that are not anonymous. Applications may be submitted at any time.

The Full Board meets the first Tuesday of each month to review protocols that require this level of review. Expedited Reviewers review protocols that meet the criteria for Exempt or Expedited status with an average turnaround time of three (3) weeks.  We suggest that you allow six (6) weeks for review.  Please note that turn‐around time is dependent on the volume of protocols received by the IRB, the completeness of the application submitted and the PI's responsiveness to questions and requests from the reviewers.

You can submit an IRB protocol at the time you submit a grant proposal. Depending upon the sponsor, you may also wait until you know if you will receive the award. Please note that the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will not release the funding until there is an IRB approved protocol.

It depends.  If human subjects are involved, it is likely.. Student research that involves human subjects, whether of a biomedical or social‐scientific nature may require approval or granting of exemption by the IRB prior to initiation. It is always best to contact the IRB to discuss specifics of the project to determine whether the project requires IRB approval.  Please note: student researchers are required to work with a faculty advisor for each research project.

The phrases "human subjects" and "human research participants" can be used interchangeably. “Participant” is the preferred term.

Study participants must be given a copy of the consent to be used as a reference document and to reinforce their understanding of the study. Regulations require that the consent document must be in language understandable to the participant. When the prospective participant is fluent in English, the consent document should be in English. However, when the participant is non‐English‐speaking, the PI should submit a translated consent form for IRB review along with a certification from the translator that the English and non‐English versions are the same. While a translator may be used to facilitate conversation with the participant, routine ad hoc translation of the consent document may not be substituted for a written translation.

Illiterate persons may have the consent form read to them in full and "make their mark." Regulations require a signature of a witness to the consent process and signature of the person conducting the consent interview. Investigators should not enroll participants who may not truly understand what they have agreed to do.

Yes. To ensure that investigators comply with federal and University regulations, it is important that the University, through the IRB, be aware of where and by whom such research is being done, even if it is done in a foreign country. Formal approval still must come from a human subjects review panel in the host institution or country and a local context review must be conducted. This approval must then be received and approved by CMU's IRB.

If you are conducting human subject research at CMU, the CMU IRB needs to approve the study.

You will be out of compliance with Federal requirements for human subject research. This can result in Federal or CMU actions that will prevent you from conducting human subject research, will jeopardize the CMU human research certification and federal funding.  Any human subject research conducted without IRB approval should be reported to the CMU IRB as soon as it is identified.