Institutional Review Board

Harding University's Institutional Review Board is composed of several highly qualified faculty and community members and is responsible for the review, evaluation and approval of research projects proposed by current students, staff or faculty members.

The mission of Harding University is to provide a quality education that will lead to an understanding and philosophy of life consistent with Christian ideals. Therefore, Harding University acknowledges and affirms the sanctity and dignity of human beings created in the image of God. The Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is responsible to guard and protect the rights and well-being of human subjects, will ensure compliance with the established federal and university procedural and ethical guidelines.

IRB - Frequently Asked Questions

IRB board members

Usen Akpanudo, Ed.D.
Professor of Education

Jason Darden, M.A.
 Assistant Professor of Bible & Ministry

James Gowen, J.D.
Community Representative - Legal/Insurance

Landry K. Kamdem, Pharm.D., Ph.D., NIH Certified Clinical Pharmacologist
IRB Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Juli Lane, D.N.P., RN, CNE, SANE-P
Associate Professor of Nursing

Scotty Parker, Pharm.D.
Community Representative - Hospital Pharmacist

Cody Sipe, Ph.D.
Professor of Physical Therapy/Director of Clinical Research

Mallory Turner, Pharm.D., BCPS
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Dale Wilkins, M.D.
Community Representative - Pediatric Physician

Institutional Review Board Process

Investigator determines the proposed research involves human subjects using OHRP decision chart.
The investigator determines which type of review:
     - Exemption
     - Expedited
     - Full IRB Review
Investigator submits the following paperwork as email attachments to irb@harding.edu:
     - Appropriate form found in "Forms for Researchers" drop-down below
     - Synopsis of research protocol (include purpose/design, site, and duration of study, methodology for participation recruitment and data collection, and strategy for ensuring confidentiality)
     - Informed consent and/or instructions for participants
     - Copy of relevant training certificate from OHRP Human Research Protection Training course [Exempt research does not require documentation of training.]
     - Copy of any surveys you plan to use
Exemptions are generally processed within 2-4 days, expedited reviews are generally processed with 4-6 days, and full IRB reviews may take 3-4 weeks, depending on the day of the month it is submitted. If needed, a full meeting will take place on the second Wednesday of the month.
 
Consult the IRB Handbook for further guideance on the process.

Forms for Researchers

Many of our colleges and departments have established their own requirements for the submission of the research proposal summary. Please check with your advisor or supervisor regarding requirements specific to your discipline. Below are sample submissions from the College of Pharmacy and the College of Education.

Sample forms

College of Pharmacy sample pdf
College of Education sample pdf

The following forms must be used by researchers in preparing their requests for review by the IRB.

Request for Exemption from IRB Review pdf
Request for Expedited Review pdf
Request for Research Review pdf
Request for Appeal pdf
Request for Amendment to Approved Research pdf
Request for Project Continuation pdf

Templates:

Project Synopsis docx
Informed Assent - Non-minor children participants docx
Informed Consent - Adolescent participants docx
Informed Consent - Adult participants (Exempt Req) docx
Informed Consent - Adult participants (Expedited Req) docx

Contact Us

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

irb@harding.edu