Human Subjects Research >>

New and Revised Policies for 2009

11.7 Procedure for Student and Course-Related Research  Revised with new procedure

11.11 Permission to Conduct Research On or Off Campus New

11.12 Protocol Application Submission and Signature Policy New

11.7 Procedure for Student and Course-Related Research 

(B) Student Projects That will be Used Beyond the Classroom

(b) If the research protocol is not generic (i.e., each student will utilize different instruments, methods and consent procedures), then each student researcher, with the support of a faculty advisor (i.e., the course instructor or other faculty member if appropriate) will submit an IRB Application.

Suggested method of managing class projects:

Description of procedures:

1. All of the students complete Part I of the training program: the CITI Online training for research using human subjects.
2. The faculty member must complete all training and be familiar with the class projects policy (Parts I and II, and discuss the class project with the IRB Administrator).
3. The students may or may not (faculty member choice) be required to complete Part II of the training application writing training
4. The students must submit their applications to the faculty member for pre-review. The pre-review should address risk assessment, the consent process, methods etc. as well as address whether it is regulated research.
5. The faculty member is responsible for submitting all of the applications (sender MU email address serves as the advisor signature).
6. ALL of the applications should be submitted at once. (The faculty might consider including the IRB application as an assignment for which there is a late penalty.)
7. The IRB chair distributes all of these protocols to a sub-committee that will act as the reviewers for all of these projects.

Instructors: please contact the IRB administrator for details regarding this procedure. In-class training can be scheduled. One of the primary advantages of this method is timely review of protocols. Note: All of the projects from your class will be sent to the same two reviewers, this has advantages for class management as well as the review process.

(note: identical information listed on the SOP's page)

11.11 Permission to Conduct Research On or Off Campus

The IRB reviews applications based on anticipated risks and benefits and the protections afforded to the subjects, however, the IRB cannot grant permission to researchers to use any location to conduct research. Researchers must seek and obtain permission to conduct research from the owner or appropriate official at that location.

a) Miami Researchers conducting research at off-campus locations:

It is the policy of Miami University that personnel conducting research as Miami employees or students obtain permission from the appropriate official to conduct research at any off-campus location. With the exception of research involving a vulnerable population (pregnant women and fetuses, prisoners, children, and economically or educationally disadvantaged persons), it is the responsibility of Miami PI’s to obtain permission and maintain documentation of that permission.

When vulnerable populations are the subjects of research, documents granting permission must be submitted to the IRB before research can be initiated. Accepted documentation includes: original signed paper copies on letterhead from the appropriate official as well as email messages sent directly from the authorized official to the IRB email address (humansubjects@muohio.edu). Electronic messages not originating from the official or forwarded by researchers through their email account are not acceptable.

If the application is being reviewed by the Psychology Departmental Review Board (DRB), researchers should arrange to have the permission documents sent to the chair of that board.

b) Non-Miami Researchers conducting research on a Miami Campus:

It is Miami Policy that all human subjects research being conducted on a Miami campus be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board. If the home institution of the researcher has an IRB, that review process may be accepted by MU.

A brief description of the research and a copy of the approval letter must be sent to the Miami Compliance Office prior to initiating research.

If the home institution of the researcher does not have an IRB, the Miami IRB may be used for the review process.

If the outside researcher is collaborating with a Miami employee and the Miami employee is functioning as a researcher, the Miami IRB must conduct a review of the protocol using the Miami procedure. Researchers must obtain permission from the appropriate official (e.g. Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of a College, Department Chairs, Provosts Office etc.)

(note: identical information listed on the SOP's page)

11.12 Protocol Application Submission and Signature Policy

An original signed paper copy of your application is no longer required. However, applications will no longer be accepted directly from undergraduate or graduate students.

1. All protocols must be submitted electronically to humansubjects@muohio.edu by a faculty researcher or the faculty advisor of a student researcher (or submitted by an authorized non-faculty staff member).
2. Submissions must be emailed from faculty using their MU email account.

See the FAQ guidance for further information regarding this policy

(note: identical information listed on the SOP's page)