Institutional Review Board
The IRB on Human Subjects shall review all research involving the use of human subjects prior to initiation of that research. The IRB exists to help ensure the protection of human subjects used in research projects, to provide guidance to researchers in the design of experiments, to inform and protect the faculty on legal issues, and to provide a process that encourages the review of experimental protocols.
Current Members
David Atkin
Ferdous Zaman Sardar
Rick Gorvett
A. Can Inci
Robert Jones
Kacy Kim
Teresa McCarthy
Xiaofei Pan
Stephen Sherman
Sukki Yoon
William Zywiak
Membership
IRB members are appointed by the President or his appointed designee. The IRB is composed of eleven members with varying experience, expertise, background, and gender in order to promote adequate review of research activities.
Members include:
- Four faculty from liberal arts disciplines.
- Four faculty from business disciplines.
- Two administrators who will also serve as record-keeper.
- A faculty member who is not affiliated with Bryant University, either directly or indirectly.
Meetings
The IRB will meet as needed so as to respond to proposals within two weeks, shorter if possible. The IRB will make every effort to prevent the delay of research projects or submission of funding proposals.
Reports
All committee deliberations will be a matter of public record. Minutes will be kept at all committee meetings, and the committee's decisions on proposals will be communicated in writing to the investigator, the Chair of the investigator's department, and the Provost. Copies of these minutes and final decisions will be available to the Bryant community.
The Provost will conduct an annual review of the program to ensure that the review process is adequately serving the research community, and that proper protection is being afforded human subjects.
CITI Certificate
The Bryant Institutional Review Board (IRB) requires that all faculty researchers and student researchers such as honors students and students in research methods courses (e.g., marketing research, communication research, and psychology research methods) acquire certification for writing grants that comply with federal and state agencies through the CITI program.
To register for CITI, go here. Click “Register” and type/select “Bryant University” from the list of universities/colleges.
Follow the instructions to select the courses you want to take (Social & Behavioral Research: Stage I Basic Course).
Once you complete the course, you will receive certification that lasts 3 to 4 years, depending on the course, and is valid for any other research method courses or honors theses.
Proposal to IRB for Research Involving Human Subjects
Proposal Form Short (Basic Level)
Proposal Form Long (Full Level)
For IRB approval, submit the following documents:
- CITI certificate in a pdf format
- IRB proposal (the link above)
- Survey/Interview questionnaire
- Consent Form to be used
- Qualtrics survey link
If you are unsure whether you need an IRB approval, check with the self-screening questionnaire.
Submit the documents to Professor Yoon by email (syoon@bryant.edu)