Hi! I work at a small liberal arts college whose primary mission is teaching, but where research is carried out in several departments (behavioral and natural sciences, mainly). Until I arrived, most of the research conducted by students and faculty in the psychology department took place on campus, utilizing college students as participants. However, my research typically involves children recruited from the community, and so I have taken it upon myself (with the Dean's encouragement) to formalize our procedures for using human subjects in research. In the past, I have always worked at institutions that had formal procedures in place, and although we have an informal process here, I wasn't sure if we met federal guidelines, or if I am legally protected when I venture out into the community. I have searched the past five years of TIPS archives and cannot find the answers to the questions I have. If you would like to respond directly to me, I would be happy to compile the responses and post them to the list. I am particularly interested in hearing from people at other colleges that are similar to mine (small, liberal arts colleges whose primary mission is teaching). I know the requirements for large research universites are different. (1) I am most interested in whether or not we are legally required to have an IRB. It is my understanding that if a university receives federal funds, it is mandated to have an IRB. But does this mean only federal funds directed to human subjects research, or does it encompass federal funds for non-human subjects research, or even federal funds unrelated to research (e.g., PEL grants)? I have read just about everything I can get my hands on (including 45 CFR 46), but I just can't find the answer to this!! (2) Related to #1, does your institution have a formal or informal process for reviewing research involving human subjects? I would also be interested in knowing how many institutions have no process in place at all. (According to "Protecting Human Subjects," published by APA, "Research universities should always have an IRB, but colleges that are primarily undergraduate insitutions may or may not have an IRB or a detailed procedure for review of research" (p. 158) Thanks in advance for your responses. Marjorie Hardy
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