Institutional Review Board
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the designated board assigned with the task of formally regulating research conducted at the University of Richmond as it pertains to the rights and welfare of human subjects. Any research using human subjects as participants, including most survey respondents, must have final IRB approval before the research can begin.
All materials should be directed to Dr. R. Kirk Jonas, Interim Associate Provost, Chair of the IRB, located in Maryland Hall, Room 202, 804-484-1565.
Proposals for review must be submitted a minimum of one week prior to the meeting of the IRB. The original and 10 copies are required for review. The meeting dates for the Fall 2007 Semester are currently set as follows:
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Proposal Due to IRB |
IRB Meeting Date |
|
September 2, 2008 |
September 9, 2008 |
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September 30, 2008 |
October 7, 2008 |
|
November 4, 2008 |
November 11, 2008 |
|
December 2, 2008 |
December 9, 2008 |
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February 3, 2009 |
February 10, 2009 |
|
March 10, 2009 |
March 17, 2009 |
|
April 7, 2009 |
April 14, 2009 |
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May 5, 2009 |
May 12, 2009 |
NEWS!!!
The IRB will require certification of completed training before approving research proposals involving human subjects. This requirement will go into effect for proposals reviewed at the September 9, 2008 meeting. Click here for details.
Review Processes and Forms
There are four types of review through the IRB process: regular application, the exemption/expedited application, the special application for in-class research and yearly renewal. Links to the online forms are underlined below.
- IRB Regular Application Information and Protocol Form
- This is the form for general review by the IRB. All information and forms, along with ten complete copies, should be provided to the Provost's Office no later than one week before a scheduled meeting. Examples of full proposals to the IRB can be found in the Resources section below.
- Exemption/Expedited Process
- Research involving the use of survey procedures or interview procedures is eligible for an expedited review if it posses no more than minimal risk to the subjects. If information is obtained in such a manner that human subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects AND any disclosure of the responses cannot reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation, then the research may actually be exempt from review.
- Only the IRB can declare that research is exempt from review. If you feel your research may be exempt, please use the above form.
- Oral History Exemption - The U.S. Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) of the Department of Health and Human Services announced in 2003 that most oral history interviewing projects will no longer fall within the purview of institutional review boards.
- IRB Special Application Instructions for In-Class Research (FOR FACULTY USE ONLY)
- This is research being conducted under the specific direction of a faculty member through a registered, for-credit course. An example of an in-class informed consent form can be found here.
- Yearly Renewal Form
- Proposals that continue and remain active must be reviewed yearly. It is the responsibility of the researcher to submit the yearly research form.
Instructional Resources and General Information for IRB
Below are some general resources and information pertaining to different aspects of the IRB, including brief overviews of both the Common Rule and Flexibility as they pertain to the IRB. Also, there are examples of Informed Consent forms used in IRB studies from the past. These can be helpful in ensuring everything is in order when a project is presented to the IRB.
Current University of Richmond IRB Members
Dr. R. Kirk Jonas, Provost's Office, CHAIR
Dr. Mitch Conover, Business; Alternate Member, Dr. Randolph New
Dr. Beth Crawford, Psychology; Alternate Member, Dr. Catherine Bagwell
Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater, Political Science
Dr. Don Forsyth, Leadership Studies
Dr. Walter Green, School of Continuing Studies
Dr. Kathy Hoke, Associate Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Harold Mitchell, Unaffiliated Member, Richmond Public Schools; Mr. Walter Smiley, Alternate Unaffiliated Member, Virginia JLARC
Dr. Joe Obi, Sociology and Anthropology; Alternate Member, Dr. Jennifer Nourse
Dr. Patricia Stohr-Hunt, Education
Training on Preparation of a Research Proposal for the IRB
Are you considering a research project that includes human subjects?
Extensive training modules are available to University of Richmond researchers; click here. The University of Richmond Institutional Review Board (IRB) is offering training on the protection of human subjects in research to faculty and student groups, including - when possible - class or research teams that request the training. To learn how to prepare a research proposal for IRB review, contact the Chair of the University of Richmond IRB, Dr. R. Kirk Jonas at 484-1565 or rjonas@richmond.edu for information or to schedule training. The IRB Chair will also discuss human subject protections and IRB procedures at departmental meetings or other venues that may be helpful to researchers.
Several online tutorials about protecting human subjects of research are available free of charge.
The Office of Human Research Protections provides three online training modules related to human subject assurance training.
The National Cancer Institute provides a two hour training module that satisfies the NIH human subject training requirement for grant applications.
NIH also has an online training site related to its IRB requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Office of the Provost
