The Office for Research Protections (ORP) provides administrative support to the IRB.
We welcome everyone to the new academic year! ORP looks forward to working with you to help facilitate a positive experience with the IRB. We are available by phone (x24778) or email (irb@bc.edu) during normal business hours. We trust this will be another busy and productive year in the Office for Research Protections.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The IRB's mission is to protect the rights and welfare of human participants who volunteer to take part in research at Boston College. Federal regulations and University Policy require prospective review and approval of all human subject research conducted by faculty, staff, or students. As with Boston College's Jesuit tradition of excellence, service and beneficence, the goal of the IRB is to ensure the safe and ethical treatment of research participants.
Latest News
The Policy for the Protection of Human Research Participants and the Standard Operating Procedures for Researchers are now available on our website. We invite you to read these important documents which contain substantial information regarding the process of IRB protocol submissions and approval.
ORP created brochures for faculty advisors which will be available soon. These brochures contain information concerning the responsibilities of the faculty advisor, human subjects training and available resources. We hope you find them valuable. For more information on how to obtain faculty advisor brochures, please contact us via email.
ORP will be holding the first in a series of brown bag lunches meant to be introductory informational sessions for anyone interested in learning about the IRB and the process of submitting an application. The first one will be held on Wednesday, September 29th at 12pm in Waul House. There will be a 20 person limit. RSVP to irb@bc.edu.
The IRB's position on the issue of compensation to participants is that they prefer that compensation be done on a prorated basis at minimum when possible and should be in recognition of time and effort.
New Procedures
The use of online surveys is on the rise. If the consent form is online, please be aware of the new instructions in the approval letter regarding the approval statement for online consent forms.
The IRB training policy has been amended to include the Biomedical modules in the CITI training program.
IRB approval is valid for one year. To qualify for renewal, researchers must complete a continuing review application before the expiration date. ORP will email researchers a continuing review reminder letters two months in advance of the expiration date of a protocol.
Reminders
ORP revised the application forms and a number of our sample consent forms in an attempt to provide a more user-friendly experience. If you have a previous copy of an old form saved to your desktop please make sure you update it as old versions of forms will not be accepted. Please visit our website for details.
Training: The CITI Responsible Conduct of Research modules do not meet the IRB training requirements. Please note that the student and advisor must complete the IRB training requirement. The human subjects training certificate is valid for three years. See the IRB Training Policy for details.
Signatures: Student protocls must be signed by the faculty advisor before ORP can send the application for IRB review. Faculty and staff initial protocols must be signed by the Dean/Chair of the department.
Undergraduate student research may be subject to IRB review. If the project contribtues to generalizable knowledge and/or will be published or presented at meetings, the student should seek IRB approval. In situations where the results of the research remain between the professor and student, this is considered a classroom project and does not necessitate IRB review.
A link to our newsletter archives was created on our website. We encourage you to view our past newsletters!
