INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD

Consistent with federal regulations (CFR 45 part 46), if you plan to conduct a research project involving living human subjects on the Hobart and William Smith campus, or are a Hobart and William Smith faculty, staff, or student member conducting research elsewhere, then you will need approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before you proceed. External researchers also need to obtain approval from the Vice President for Student Affairs to do research on Hobart and William Students, or from the Provost to do research on Hobart and William Smith faculty or staff, in addition to obtaining approval from the IRB.

Many research projects pose little or no risk and may be exempt from full IRB review, but must be reported to the IRB and certified as exempt by the board. All other research will be formally reviewed by the IRB, although the review of course-based student research follows a different procedure from full reviews of individual research.

The application form, along with any consent forms and questionnaires, should be mailed (both electronically and in signed hard copy) to Kelly Switzer in Provost's Office, at least two weeks before the next scheduled IRB meeting. Please consult the meeting schedule below for the precise dates.

Results of the IRB's deliberations will be communicated to the applicant within a week following the meeting. Questions regarding IRB procedures can be directed to the IRB Chair or any other member of the committee.

Please note that the IRB's definition of 'original research' might be more broadly construed than in some disciplines and may include data collection for administrative purposes, for example. You can access a glossary of IRB related terms at right.

IRB MEETING DATES

IRB meeting dates for Spring 2013:

• February 11
• February 25
• March 11
• April 1
• April 15
• April 29
• May 13

IRB COMMITTEE

Paul Kehle, Education, Associate Dean of Faculty, Chair & IRB Coordinator
Karen Frost-Arnold, Philosophy
Ron Gerrard, Psychology
Harlene Gilbert, Finger Lakes Cerebral Palsy Association
Khuram Hussain, Education
Roberta Truscello, Grants Office

All forms should be mailed (and emailed) to Kelly Switzer in the Provost's Office for dissemination to the committee.

HELPFUL LINKS

• IRB Determination Tree (PDF)
• IRB Policies (PDF)
• Research Exempt from Review (PDF)
• Guide for preparing research proposals
• Glossary of Terms
• Federal Guidelines
• Online Training Course

NECESSARY FORMS

Consent Forms

Sample Consent Form (PDF) (MS Word)

Checklist for Preparing Your Consent Forms (PDF) (MS Word)

Application Forms

Form A: Application to Conduct Research with Human Subjects (MS Word)

Form A: Continuation (MS Word)

Form B: Application for Exemption from IRB Review for Research with Human Subjects (MS Word)

Form C: Application to Conduct Course-based Student Research with Human Subjects (MS Word)

Form D: Course-based Student Research with Human Subjects Exemption Form (MS Word)