Institutional Review Board
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a federally-mandated, locally constituted review body designed to protect the rights and well-being of human subjects who participate in research. Cornell faculty, staff, and students who collect or analyze research data collected from human subjects are legally and ethically obligated to respect and protect their project participants. The Cornell College IRB assists researchers in carrying out these obligations.
Doing research that involves human subjects is a privilege, not a right. Any member of the Cornell community (faculty, staff, and students) planning to conduct research using human participants must have that research reviewed and approved by the Cornell IRB. This holds for all research involving human subjects, whether the research is funded or not. Furthermore, research projects must be approved prior to subject recruitment and data collection.
How do I get IRB approval?
First, determine whether your project involves research, and if so, whether the research involves human subjects.
The federal government defines research as a "systematic investigation . . . designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." The general test of whether a project constitutes research is based on whether the findings will (or possibly might) be presented outside of the classroom.
Human subject refers to a living individual about whom the researcher obtains (a) data (e.g., information, biospecimens) through intervention or interaction with the individual or (b) identifiable private information.
Second, read the Cornell IRB Handbook. We also strongly encourage you to complete the training program on protecting human subjects that is offered by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI).
Third, complete an IRB Application and supporting materials (including Informed Consent form).
Fourth, submit your completed application and all supporting materials to the IRB committee chair, IRB@cornellcollege.edu.
Types of review
There are three types of review: exempt, expedited and full board.
Exempt
Research may be Exempt if it poses no greater than minimal risk to participants and it fits into one or more of the federally defined exempt categories (e.g., secondary research using publicly available data). Exempt research must still be submitted to the IRB committee to determine the exemption status.
Expedited
Research that poses only minimal risk to subjects (i.e. not greater than those encountered in daily life) can often be handled through Expedited review. Examples include routine physical or psychological examinations or tests. Projects that are Expedited are reviewed by the Chair of the IRB and one other member of the Board.
Full Review
All research that is not Exempt or Expedited is given a Full Review. Examples include research that poses more than minimal risk or vulnerable populations (e.g., children, prisoners). All members of the IRB review the proposal, which is then discussed at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
The level of review can only be determined by the IRB committee after the IRB application is submitted.
Types of decisions
Approved
No further action is required and the principal investigator is free to initiate the study.
Revise and resubmit
Changes, revisions, or additional information is required before the study may begin. These must be resubmitted and the IRB must approve these changes before the study can begin.
Denied
The proposed research, because of the level of risk involved, cannot be initiated.
Exempt
The project does not require IRB approval or approval is deferred to the IRB of the project host institution.
Protocol review process & timeline
After submission of the application, the IRB chair will review the application to determine the type of review required. The IRB chair will notify the principal investigator of the IRB type review status and type of decision via email.
Expect a minimum of three weeks for each protocol to be reviewed and any comments to be returned to the principal investigator. The IRB committee members will work hard to complete the review in a timely and thorough manner.
Contact the committee
Chair: Dr. Krista Robbins
Email: IRB@cornellcollege.edu
Address: IRB, Cornell College, 600 First Street SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098