Human Subject Research Information

Human subject research is any scientific research that involves either directly collecting information from living individuals or using previously-collected information in which individuals are directly identified is considered human subjects research. Federal regulations require that research on human subjects must adhere to a basic set of rules designed to protect participants from unnecessary risk and exploitation.

Each college maintains its own Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is responsible for reviewing and approving all studies involving human subjects research. An IRB contains at least 5 individuals, both men and women, and must include at least one scientist, at least one non-scientist, and at least one external member who is not directly affiliated with the college. The IRB reviews each application for human subjects research and determines if it conforms to federal guidelines. The IRB may ask for modifications to a study before approving it.

All research projects involving human subjects require some level of IRB review. There are 3 levels of review: exempt, expedited, and full. Most class projects are classified as exempt (see “Guidelines” section) and only require a cursory review by the IRB. Most senior theses qualify for expedited review. However, student research projects that involve sensitive topics, special categories of participants, or more than minimal risk, will require review by the full IRB board (see “Guidelines” section).

Students conducting thesis research should go through the IRB of their home campus, even if their advisor is assigned to a different campus. The only exception is if you will be working on a protocol for which your advisor has or will have IRB approval from their home campus, in which case you would be added as a researcher to her/his IRB protocol. Class projects should be handled as a group by the instructor, who will contact his/her home campus IRB to determine if projects are exempt or need review (see Guidelines).

In most cases, once an IRB is approved by one of the Claremont Colleges, you do not need additional approval from the other Claremont Colleges. Instead, you should email your IRB approval to the Dean of Students office at any campus where you might recruit students. However, if you plan to recruit Pomona students, you must contact Pomona’s IRB after you have been approved by your home campus.

Review times differ among the three colleges. In general expect roughly 7-10 days for exempt reviews, 1-3 weeks for expedited reviews, and one month or more for full board reviews. Please note that multiple rounds of review may be required if either the IRB requests modifications or if the original application is not clearly written. Students are encouraged to contact the IRB as they develop their application to discuss the type of review needed and to ensure that the submitted application is correct and complete.