IRB Committee
Audrey Roberson, IRB Chair, Educational Studies
Stephanie Anglin, Psychological Science
Rob Beutner, Director of the Digital Learning Center
Rebecca Godwin, Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes
Nicholas Metz, OAFA, IRB Coordinator
Tammy Papperman, Center for Disability Rights
Max Piersol, Art and Architecture
Jim Sutton, Sociology
Melissa Weaver, Academic and Faculty Affairs
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 involved in such a project elsewhere, then you will need approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before you proceed. In addition to obtaining approval from the IRB, external (non-HWS) researchers also need to obtain approval from the Vice President for Student Affairs to do research on Hobart and William Smith students, or from the Provost to do research on Hobart and William Smith faculty or staff.
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. Researchers should consult the materials under Policies and Procedures on the right to determine the appropriate steps for receiving IRB approval.
The application form, along with any consent forms, questionnaires and other relevant documents, should be emailed (hardcopy no longer required) to Melissa Weaver in the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs. In addition, all submissions must submit a completed COVID-19 In-Person Research Addendum document available in the life of IRB forms. Please consult the schedule below for the deadlines.
Please be sure that all submissions are standardized into the following three pdf documents:
1. The proposal (include actual dates on the form and not just months)
2. All supporting documents (e.g., consent forms, questionnaires, solicitation scripts, etc.)
3. Ethics certificates
Any submitted proposals not standardized in this way and that do not contain a signature will be returned to the submitter.
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. Questions regarding IRB procedures can be directed to the IRB Chair or the IRB Coordinator.
Fall 2023 IRB Meeting Dates
| Submission Due Date (by 5 p.m.) | IRB Meeting Date | Anticipated Response Date |
| Fri., Sept. 1 | Fri., Sept. 8 | Wed., Sept. 13 |
| Fri., Sept. 15 | Fri., Sept. 22 | Wed., Sept. 27 |
| Fri., Sept. 29 | Fri., Oct. 6 | Wed., Oct. 11 |
| Fri., Oct. 13 | Fri., Oct. 20 | Wed., Oct. 25 |
| Fri., Oct. 27 | Fri., Nov. 3 | Wed., Nov. 8 |
| Fri., Nov. 10 | Fri., Nov. 17 | Wed., Nov. 22 |
| Fri., Nov. 24 | Fri., Dec. 1 | Wed., Dec. 6 |