Institutional Review Board

C23X

The Institutional Review Board is concerned with the ethical treatment of humans when they are involved as participants in research. The committee seeks to ensure that the principles of confidentiality, informed consent, benefit, and minimal risk are adhered to in the conduct of such research if the activities are conducted in the name of Elon University and/or using students or personnel of Elon University as participants.

• Director of Sponsored Programs, without vote
• Five members of the teaching faculty appointed by the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity; one from Elon College and one from each of the schools of the University. Appointments to the Institutional Review Board occur in a four-year cycle. In the first year of the cycle, one member will be appointed from Elon College. In the second year of the cycle, one member will be appointed from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and one from the School of Communications. In the third year of the cycle, one member will be appointed from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. In the final year of the cycle, one member will be appointed from the School of Health Sciences.
• Three members of the teaching faculty appointed by the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity; one from the biomedical sciences (Biology, Exercise Science, School of Health Sciences), one from the Department of Psychology, and one from Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences
• An additional member of the committee will be named by the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity from the non-institutional population.
• Invited non-members, without vote. If the committee reviews projects involving a category of vulnerable participants or involving issues requiring competence in special areas, it may invite one or more non-members to provide special expertise.
• The committee must always include at least two scientists and two non-scientists. (Any faculty who has had substantive training or experience in a scientific discipline or in a scientific method should be considered a scientist.)
• Committee members who have a conflict of interest regarding a specific project may not participate in the review of such project.

• The Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity appoints the Chair from among the full-time teaching faculty members on the committee.
• If the committee reviews projects involving a category of vulnerable participants, or involving issues requiring competence in special areas, it may invite one or more non-members to provide special expertise. Non-members will not have a vote.
• Committee members who have a conflict of interest regarding a specific project may not participate in the review of such project.
• The Committee Chair will submit a written annual report to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity.

• To carry out charges made by the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity which pertain to the activities of the committee or issues of human participants in research
• To review and amend the policies established in these guidelines when modification is deemed necessary by the committee
• To review all research proposals involving human subjects and act according to these guidelines to either approve, exempt, or disapprove new research and ensure the compliance of continuing research
• To act as a clearinghouse for the human subjects research ethical guidelines and regulations of various professional associations and appropriate governmental agencies
• To disseminate approved guidelines in order to promote understanding of the policies and increase general sensitivity to ethical issues related to human participants in research
• To maintain records of committee activity as required by 45 CFR 46.115, which include copies of all reviewed research proposals that involve human subjects, minutes of meetings, and copies of correspondence between the committee and investigators
• To refer cases to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity regarding violations of these guidelines which have not been resolved between the committee and researcher