Institutional Review Board (IRB): Faculty Resources

 Email us at irb@nu.edu    

 Visit the IRB Office Hours page

Follow the link for information regarding CITI Training!

What is the role of the IRB?

• Protection of Human Participants
• Handle general IRB process-related questions

What is the role of the Chair/Mentor?

• Encourage researchers to review the IRB website for resources
• Encourage researchers to attend Group Writing Sessions
• Encourage researchers to attend Office Hours
• Support the researcher in terms of methodology 

This page provides guidance for the chair/faculty sponsor role in the IRB process. Please review the materials on this page to ensure that you are providing exceptional support for student researchers.

Here are general suggestions for supporting students in the IRB Process

1. Plan ahead to consider the feasibility and risk level during the initial planning phase during the first dissertation course.
2. Encourage students to visit the IRB website early and often and to attend IRB events
3. Realize that studies can take longer to be approved if they are greater than minimal risk (GTMR); use resources from the Department of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs, military, hospitals, prisons, or a site with its own IRB; or involve recruiting or collecting data outside the United States. Advise students of this early in the process.
4. Remind students never to change anything about an approved IRB protocol without first submitting a request to modify the study using the process described here. This includes adding additional sites.
5. Remind students whose research involves human subjects to submit an IRB study closure form when data collection is completed and the data are de-identified and securely stored according to the procedures on the approved IRB application. In addition, we recommend that the committee check to see that the student has sufficient data prior to closing the study.  The process is described here.
6. Check that you have current CITI certification status.
7. Use the Faculty Checklist to ensure students complete their IRB applications correctly:

If you are working with a researcher who used NU login credentials before the university merger (Nov. 2022) OR began their degree program after that date, then they are considered a legacy NU researcher.  If you are working with a researcher who used NCU login credentials before the university merger (Nov. 2022), then they are considered a legacy NCU researcher  To review and certify a student PI's IRB application submission, please follow the instructions in the appropriate guide below.  You can also watch a help video that begins once you are in the Cayuse system.