Institutional Review Board

IRB Process

Undergraduate students should discuss research and institutional review with their faculty, mentors, or advisors. Class instructors may fill out the Class Project Proposal Form.

Review the IRB Flow Chart for your program for an overview of the IRB review process.

Complete the National Institute of Health (NIH) training on protecting human research participants. Successful completion of this training is a necessary step in the IRB process.  Record your training certificate number.

Read and discuss the 20 Questions with a peer, mentor, or faculty member. These questions will help you become aware of issues to consider when doing research. It is helpful to write down your answers to the questions in preparation for completing the IRB research proposal form.

Review the Exemption Checklist to see whether your research might be exempt from the IRB review process.  Your IRB committee (in the case of MAP students, your core faculty and graduate mentor) will determine whether or not your research is exempt.

Complete the IRB Proposal Review Form, utilizing the information you have gained from coursework, instructors/mentors, your core faculty, peers and the above steps. Ask your instructor/mentor/core faculty if you have questions when completing the form.  Draft and revise related research forms, including consent forms and research instruments.

When your proposal has been received, please refer back to the IRB Flow Chart for your program to ensure that all stages of the review process are being completed.