INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD Policy:
Research activities conducted under the auspices of Grace College and Theological Seminary by faculty, students, and other campus personnel, or research using employees or students as research subjects will adhere to ethical and legal research practices and must receive prior approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before any collection of data.
1.0 The IRB provides oversight and assurance of ethical research practices conducted by faculty, students, and other campus personnel.
2.0 The IRB also reviews and revises institutional policies regarding the authorization and conducting of research.
3.0 The primary investigator (PI) affiliated with any research project at or through Grace College must submit a fully completed Grace College IRB Application for Initial Review and a cover letter introducing the proposal and investigators involved. This includes research on or by the student body, independent research, dissertation or thesis research, and research associated with classes or grants. Researched papers that do not include involvement of people as the subjects of interviews, surveys, experiments, inventories or other similar methodologies do not need to be submitted to the IRB.
4.0 The IRB will convene as required to review IRB Application submissions, but investigators should allow for at least two weeks from the time of submission until an IRB decision is reached.
5.0 Completed applications are distributed by the IRB Chair to IRB members.
6.0 Upon convening, the IRB will process submitted applications through requirements outlined in the Grace College Institutional Review Board Charter and Standard Operating Procedures, XI. If any requirements noted therein are deficient or if the application is complete, the application will be returned as such to the relevant PI.
7.0 If the application is complete and if all stipulations outlined the Standard Operating Procedures are satisfied, the IRB will discuss disposition of the application according to the following considerations:
7.01 Does the proposal represent “research” as defined by the United States Code of Federal Regulations Title 45 and Part 46?
7.02 Does the research proposal involve the use of human subjects?
7.03 Is the research eligible for IRB review exemption in accordance with Title 45 CFR 46 101(b)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6)?
7.04 Is the research eligible for expedited review in accordance with the Grace College Institutional Review Board Charter and Standard Operating Procedures?
7.04.1 If aforementioned points 7.1 and 7.2 are affirmative, but aforementioned point three 7.3 or four 7.4 are negative, the application is submitted for Full Board Review.
7.04.2 IRB Full Board Review will disposition the research application proposal according to the following four domains:
7.04.2.1 Approved
7.04.2.2 Approved with Restrictions
7.04.2.3 Tabled
7.04.2.4 Disapproved
7.05 Disapproved applications may be resubmitted if the resubmitted application appropriately incorporates IRB concerns, suggestions, and revisions.
7.06 Continuing review by the IRB of ongoing research will occur at least annually and may be increased depending upon the nature of risk within the research project. The PI is responsible for annually submitting to the IRB the Continuing Review Questionnaire and a copy of the project’s current informed consent document.
7.07 Failure by the PI to submit the aforementioned documents by the annual expiration date will result in the termination of the project’s IRB status.
Applications and procedures are available on the campus portal and from the IRB chair (Rock LaGioga)
Information adapted from http://www.grace.edu/files/uploads/webfm/admissions/undergraduate/registrar/GCTS_AcademicPoliciesManual_2011-2012_rv102511.pdf