The Íæż½ã½ã IRB is a committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects. We strive to ensure that all human subject research be conducted in accordance with all federal, institutional, and ethical guidelines. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews all research involving human subjects to ensure protection, privacy, autonomy, dignity and informed consent for research participants. The protection of human subjects is a shared responsibility among researchers, advisors, and the University and the IRB has developed a process to assist in achieving the best possible research outcome. Íæż½ã½ã's human subjects research program is administered by Sponsored Programs, Research and External Engagement (SPREE).
Apply for IRB Approval
Investigators cannot begin research with human subjects until a complete application has been submitted to the IRB, reviewed and approved. The IRB Application Process webpage contains information to help investigators navigate the IRB application process including directions, forms, links, and templates.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) application process is conducted through an online software system called Mentor IRB available to all University faculty, staff, and students.
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Note: Quality Improvement project applications are NOT submitted through Mentor IRB. Instead, they must be submitted through . A video tutorial walking you through the application process on Canvas is available. If you have any questions, please email irb@stkate.edu.
Human Subject Research (HSR) Policy
The Research Involving Human Subject Policy describes the guiding principles and regulatory requirements necessary to ensure the rights, dignity, welfare, and privacy of the human subjects in all research conducted on behalf of the Íæż½ã½ã. Human subject research is integrated more broadly within a system of policies around research integrity which can be found on the SPREE Policy and Compliance webpage.
CITI Training: Mandatory HSR Education
Education of those involved in the research process is considered essential to ensure that all research involving human subjects is conducted in accordance with ethical principles and federal guidelines. The Mandatory Research Education Policy requires all primary investigators (PI), Co-PIs, research assistants, and faculty advisors to complete Human Subjects Research (HSR) training. Additional training is outlined in the policy but the IRB does not require training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI). Researchers only need to complete the RCR or FCOI courses when directed by the SPREE office.
CITI is the chosen provider for online, peer-reviewed research integrity education. The IRB requires researchers to complete one track under the Human Subject Research course: Biomedical Investigators, Social Behavioral Investigators, or Education Action Research.
IRB Committee
IRB Administration
| Name | Role | Department | Phone Ext | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denise Baird | Deciding Official | Co-Provost for Academic Affairs | 6720 | dmbaird417@stkate.edumailto:dmbaird417@stkate.eduddmbaird417@stkate.edumailto:dmbaird417@stkate.edudmdmbaird417@stkate.edu |
| Laura Gilchrist | IRB Chair | Doctor of Physical Therapy Program | 7738 | lsgilchrist@stkate.edu |
| Katrice Ziefle | IRB Co-Chair | Post-Master's DNP | 7739 | kkkks IRB Co-Chair David Chapmankrziefle@stkate.edu |
| Kira Dahlk | IRB Administrator | SPREE | 8820 | kdahlk@stkate.edu |
IRB Review Board
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Steven Elmer | DPT |
| Rachel Harriss | Nursing |
| Jenny Hutson | Occupational Therapy |
| Grace Gao | Nursing |
| Carol Geisler | Holistic Health |
| Nancy Koski | Community Representative |
| Mary Jeanne Levitt | Community Representative |
| Anaya Mitra | Psychology |
| Andrea Olson | Psychology |
| Sharon Radd | Organizational Leadership |
| Maria Tice | Nursing |
| Holman Tse | English |
| Joyce Yukawa | Library and Information Science |
Committee Meetings
The IRB Committee meets to discuss requests for full review applications. The majority of IRB applications submitted to the Íæż½ã½ã's IRB do not require a full review and can be submitted at any time. Full review IRB applications and supporting documents must be submitted through Mentor IRB two weeks prior to the next IRB Committee meeting. Full reviews are scheduled based on the order in which they are received. Once the meeting agenda is full, additional full reviews will be scheduled in the next available meeting. IRB meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month during the academic year.