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Institutional Review Board

Lander University's IRB ensures the protection of individuals who will be the subjects of research. Lander University is committed to following the ethical standards and principles of justice, respect and beneficence, presented by the Belmont Report, as well as all applicable federal, state and local regulations, and university policies and procedures.

The IRB reviews applications for proposed human subjects research and to determine adherence to the guidelines for ethical research. The board operates in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations for research with human subjects and in compliance with the policies set forth in Section IV of the Lander University Faculty Handbook.

 

Members

Members serve three-year terms and are eligible for reappointment at the end of their respective term. Current board membership is as follows:

Department Member
Academic Affairs Marie Nix, Chair
Academic Affairs Susan Going, Administrative Chair
Business Matt Peters
Nursing Paula Haynes
PEES Martin Carmichael
Psychology Shana Southard-Dobbs
Sociology Linda Carson
Outside Member Fran Annese

Guidelines for Submitting a Research Application

All research conducted at Lander University must comply with the Federal Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects (45 CFR 46) as established by the US Department of Health and Human Services and must be approved by the IRB prior to the initiation of the research. Further, all individuals conducting research with human participants must have a current CITI certificate documenting completion of human research protections training, which can be obtained free through www.citiprogram.org. Note: The “Social and Behavioral Research - Basic Course” is the minimum certification required; additional training and certification may be required if deemed relevant to the project parameters. To apply for project approval, please complete the IRB Research Application, which covers all categories of research, and send your application along with the required supporting materials to Susan Going (sgoing@lander.edu), Office of Academic Affairs.

 

The Institutional Review Board must approve ANY research conducted at Lander University that utilizes human subjects.

Categories of Review

Research reviewed by the IRB will fall into one of three categories:

  • Exempt: The research is exempt from expedited and full committee review. The IRB Chair reviews the applicant’s submission and either approves, requests modification, or disapproves the research for this category of review.  
  • Expedited: The research is exempt from full committee review. The chair and two other members of the IRB review the applicant’s submission and either approve, request modification, or disapprove the research. Investigators may request full committee review for applications that are disapproved after an expedited review. Individuals anticipating conducting research during the summer months should submit research protocols no later than May 1.
  • Full Committee Review: All other applications will be reviewed by the IRB at one of its convened meetings. Meetings of the full committee will be held six times an academic year and scheduled for the months of September, October, November, February, March, April. Additional meeting times may be arranged at the discretion of the Chair. Research proposals that require full committee review are reviewed by a quorum of IRB members, including at least one member whose primary concerns are in the nonscientific areas. If your research requires full committee review, please submit your application at least 10 working days prior to an upcoming meeting. Individuals anticipating conducting research during the summer months should submit research protocols in order to be reviewed during the April meeting. 

 

Class Assignments

Class assignments that are conducted to satisfy a course or graduation requirement and the results will not be shared externally do not require IRB review. Please contact the IRB Chair for assistance in determining whether or not a project constitutes research with human participants as defined by federal regulations.