Consistent with federal regulations (CFR 45 part 46), if you plan to conduct a research project involving living human subjects on the Hobart and William Smith campus, or are a Hobart and William Smith faculty, staff, or student member conducting research elsewhere, then you will need approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before you proceed.
Many research projects pose little or no risk and may be exempt from full IRB review, but must be reported to the IRB and certified as exempt by the board. All other research will be formally reviewed by the IRB, although the review of course-based student research follows a different procedure from full reviews of individual research.
The application form, along with any consent forms and questionnaires, should be mailed (both electronically and in signed hard copy) to Kelly Switzer in Provost's Office, at least 2 weeks before the next scheduled IRB meeting. Please consult the meeting schedule below for the precise dates.
Results of the IRB's deliberations will be communicated to the applicant within a week following the meeting. Questions regarding IRB procedures can be directed to the IRB Chair or any other member of the committee.
Please note that the IRB's definition of 'original research' might be more broadly construed than in some disciplines and may include data collection for administrative purposes, for example. You can access a glossary of IRB related terms at right.
The IRB generally meets every two weeks when possible. Below are the dates for the Fall 2008 semester:
Wes Perkins, Chair, Sociology
Eugenio Arima, Environmental Studies
Dave Belding, Mathematics
Martha Bond, Grants Office
Ron Gerrard, Psychology
Valerie Kayser, External member
Helen McCabe, Education
Devparna Roy, Sociology
Ron Gerrard, Institutional Research Officer, currently serves as the IRB coordinator; all forms should be mailed (and emailed) to Kelly Switzer in the Provost's Office for dissemination to the committee.
All forms should be mailed (and emailed) to Kelly Switzer in the Provost's Office for dissemination to the committee.
Sample Consent Form (PDF) (MS Word)
Checklist for Preparing Your Consent Forms (PDF) (MS Word)
Form A: Application to Conduct Research with Human Subjects (PDF) (MS Word)
Form A: Continuation (PDF) (MS Word)
Form B: Application for Exemption from IRB Review for Research with Human Subjects (PDF) (MS Word)
Form C: Application to Conduct Course-based Student Research with Human Subjects (PDF) (MS Word)
Form D: Course-based Student Research with Human Subjects Exemption Form (PDF) (MS Word)
