Harding University - IRB

Under federal law and regulations, an IRB is the official group that has been formally designated by an institution to review any research involving human subjects.

Harding’s IRB is made up of nine members, appointed by Dr. Burks, and has the authority to approve, require modifications, or disapprove research.

2. What is the purpose of an IRB?

The purpose of the IRB is to assure, both in advance and periodically, that adequate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in research.

The nine members of the IRB review research protocols and related materials (e.g., informed consent documents) to ensure protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects.

3. Is the purpose of the IRB review of informed consent to protect the institution or the subject?

The fundamental purpose of IRB review is to assure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are protected. A signed informed consent document is evidence that the document has been provided to a prospective subject and that the subject has agreed to participate in the research. IRB review of informed consent documents also ensures that the institution is in compliance with applicable regulations.

Issue 2: Researcher/Investigator Training

1. How do I get my NIH certification?

The link to the certification training is: http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php.

2. How long does the training it take?

The training will take 2-3 hours.

3. What is the fee for this training?

The training is provided at no cost to you.

4. How do I prove that I have completed and passed the training?

You will be given a certificate at the end of the training. It is important that you print it, keep a copy for yourself, and send a pdf copy to the IRB office. You will want to include a copy of this certificate with your proposal submission.

Issue 3: Determining the need for project approval

1. How do I know whether my project requires approval by the (IRB)?

Use this two-part test to see if your project must be submitted to the IRB:

Part 1: How do I know if my proposal constitutes "research"?

Ask yourself the following questions:

a. Is there any possibility you will someday publish or present the results of your project in a scholarly forum?	Yes	No
b. Is your project part of your capstone, masters or doctoral project or an independent project? (e.g., research paper, pilot study, video documentary)	Yes	No

If you answered NO to both questions, you do not have to submit your proposal to the IRB.

You may start your project.

If you answered YES to either question, your project is considered to be "research."

Go to Part 2.

Part 2: How do I know if my project is considered to be “research on human subjects"?

Ask yourself the following questions:

a. Are you planning to obtain information from or about living individuals?	Yes	No
b. Will the study involve direct interaction with individuals? (surveys, focus groups, etc.)	Yes	No
c. Will the study gather data linked to personal identifiers?	Yes	No
d. Will you gather information that would ordinarily be private?	Yes	No
e. Will you gather tissue, blood, or any other physical matter?	Yes	No
f. Will you observe behavior in a context where the subjects would reasonably expect privacy (e.g., their homes)?	Yes	No
g. Will you be making and/or observing changes to an individual’s environment?	Yes	No
h. Will you be making and/or observing changes related to a bodily alteration? (e.g., drugs, food, etc.)	Yes	No

If you answered NO to (a), then it would be impossible for you to answer YES to any other question. You are free to start your project.

If you answered YES to (a) and to one or more of the other questions, your project is considered to include “human subjects” and you must submit a formal IRB application.

Summary: If your answer to either question in Part 1 was YES, and your answered YES to question (a) and at least one other question in Part 2, your project is considered to be “research on human subjects" and you must submit a formal IRB application.

2. What sorts of projects do not need IRB approval?

Projects that do not require IRB review includes anything that is NOT research. This includes but is not limited to: records reviews, data requests, or classroom surveys conducted by a teacher to inform his or her instruction (and not intended for presentation or research).

3. What if I am using information that is already available?

If you are doing research that is limited to secondary analysis of data, records, or specimens that are (1) publicly available, (2) de-identified, or (3) otherwise impossible to be linked to individual identities, it is possible that you may need IRB review. On occasion, a data-use agreement between the researcher and the data custodian may still be required to verify that the researcher will not have access to identifying codes. The IRB can consider a proposal viable for review only after data is “de-linked” from personal identifiers.

4. Can I seek retroactive approval for a project?

No. An IRB does not have the option of granting "retroactive" approval after research is completed. Researchers are strongly encouraged to submit their research proposals or consult with the IRB if there is uncertainty regarding the need for IRB review and approval.

Issue 4: Submitting a Proposal

1. How do I submit a proposal?

The forms required for submitting a proposal for review are available online at the Harding IRB web site: www.harding.edu/irb/forms.html.

2. How do I know whether to submit a request for an exemption, an expedited review, or a full review?

The type of review is determined by such issues as the nature of the protocol, the level of potential risk to human subjects, and the subject population. There are forms for each type of review, and all are available on the Harding IRB web site.

a. Request for Exemption: Research with very minimal risk to human subjects may be exempted from review and includes but is not limited to research on educational strategies, curricula, or management methods or observations done in educational or public settings. Please refer to p. 59 (Appendix D) of the IRB Handbook for a full list of projects that qualify for exemption. To obtain an exemption, the researcher must submit a Request for Exemption from IRB Review form that will be reviewed by the IRB administrator and/or other IRB members. This sort of review generally does not require a full board meeting and can normally be completed in 2-4 business days.

b. Request for Expedited Review: Only research involving no more than minimal risk to subjects may be considered for expedited review. Examples of projects that may qualify for expedited review includes but are not limited to some types of survey research.

Please refer to p. 57 (Appendix C) of the IRB Handbook for a full list of projects that qualify for expedited review. To apply for an expedited review, the researcher must submit a Request for Expedited Review form that will be reviewed by the IRB administrator and/or other IRB members. This sort of review generally does not require a full board meeting and can normally be completed in 3-5 business days.

c. Full Board Review: Any study involving greater than minimal risk to human subjects requires a review by the full IRB at a regularly scheduled meeting. Examples of such studies include but is not limited to studies with minors, studies using vulnerable populations as subjects (e.g., developmentally or mentally disabled adults, prisoners, etc.), studies with the possibility of physical risk, and surveys with sensitive questions.

To apply for a full board review, the researcher must submit a Request for Research Review form that will be reviewed at a regularly scheduled meeting of the IRB.

The Harding IRB meets four times each semester and in the summer as needed. Please refer to p.41 (Appendix A) of the IRB Handbook for the current schedule of meetings and deadlines for proposal submission.

Studies assigned to full board review are reviewed by members ahead of time, then discussed at the meeting. The committee then votes to approve or disapprove the study, and the researcher is notified of the decision.

3. If my proposal is reviewed by the expedited procedure, do the same requirements apply to my research as they would under a full board review?

Yes. In most cases, expedited reviews simply take less time to review since they are conducted in a rolling fashion (as soon as we receive your protocol and all submission requirements, it is reviewed). That is the only difference between expedited and full board review. All of the same rules and regulations for proposals that receive full board approval apply to research projects that have received IRB approval via the expedited procedure.

Issue 5: Review Timeline

1. How long does it take for an IRB application to be evaluated?

The IRB is committed to providing a through review, but also a timely turn-around.

The following timeline represents our goal:

- Request for Exemption: 2-4 business days
- Request for Expedited Review: 3-5 business days
- Request for Project Approval (full board review): Within 24 hours of the scheduled Board meeting.

IRB
501-279-4640