Humans: Institutional Review Board
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a federally mandated committee whose purpose is to ensure that 1) the rights, well-being, and safety of human subjects in research are protected; and 2) that Iowa State University research is compliant with applicable federal and state regulations as well as Iowa State policies and guidelines. To achieve these objectives, the IRB advises principal investigators in designing research projects that minimize potential harm to subjects, reviews all research involving human subjects prior to initiation of the research, approves research that meets established criteria for the protection of human subjects, and monitors approved research to confirm that subjects are being protected.
In accordance with federal regulations and Iowa State policy, human subjects research conducted by employees, students, or other agents of Iowa State University must receive IRB approval or determination of exemption prior to initiation of any human subjects research activities. Research must remain under IRB oversight until all human subjects research activities are complete.
Iowa State human subjects research and the activities of the IRB are guided by the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report, and by applicable regulations governing human subjects research. Principal investigators (PIs) and supervising investigators (SIs) are ultimately responsible for protecting the rights, well-being, and safety of human research subjects as well as assuring compliance with all applicable regulations and requirements.