IRB Process
Federal regulations and university IRB guidelines require IRB approval for research conducted with human subjects by faculty or students. Examples of research activities that require IRB review include undergraduate theses that may be presented in the public or professional venue, Honor’s theses, master’s theses, DNP project. However, some class projects are conducted for educational purposes and do not meet the definition of research with human subjects, and thus, IRB approval is not required. When faculty and students are unsure, please consult with the IRB or submit the application for review. IRB Frequently Asked Question (IRB FAQ) is also available under “Helpful Links.”
Step 1. Complete a human subject protection tutorial found on the IRB website and document the source on the IRB application. Faculty and graduate students may apply as principal investigator (PI). Undergraduate students may apply as co-investigator under the supervision of a faculty member as PI. See the human subject tutorial links below for certification or proof of training.
Step 2. Complete consent form (if required) for subjects 18 years of age or older (.doc) and subjects less than 18 years of age (.doc).
Step 3. Obtain letter of support from the site where data will be collected (if applicable). Contact the IRB administrator for any questions about this. (hsrc@graceland.edu)
Step 4. Download the IRB application and complete it electronically in Microsoft Word.
Step 5. Send the completed IRB application (in Word format) as an email attachment to the IRB administrator (hsrc@graceland.edu). Additional documentation should be saved as one Word document and included in the same email message to the IRB administrator.
Step 6. The IRB administrator will deliver to the designated IRB reviewer. Please allow a minimum of two weeks for review and feedback. Applications will be reviewed in the order that they are submitted.
Step 7. You will receive electronic confirmation of approval or required revisions to be resubmitted to the IRB administrator (hsrc@graceland.edu). NO SUBJECTS MAY BE RECRUITED AND NO DATA MAY BE COLLECTED PRIOR TO IRB APPROVAL.