Institutional Review Board (IRB) Home
The University of Northern Iowa is committed to ensuring that the rights and welfare of human research participants are adequately protected in all research activities. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the administrative body charged with the responsibility of reviewing, prior to its initiation, all research involving human participants. The IRB may approve, exempt, disapprove, monitor and require modifications to all research activities falling under its jurisdiction, as specified by federal regulations and institutional policy.
Investigators and key personnel must have Human Subjects Training on file with the IRB office, prior to submitting an IRB application. All IRB applications must be submitted through UNI's online IRB application system, "Cayuse IRB." Once a complete application is received, it generally takes two-to-three weeks for review. Most research is reviewed by one or two committee members; however research involving more than minimal risk is reviewed by the Full Board and applications must be received according to a prescribed meeting schedule.
CAYUSE IRB - Start an Application
All IRB applications must be submitted through Cayuse IRB. Cayuse IRB is a cloud-based IRB application submission and management system which streamlines all components of the IRB process; it is accessible through your UNI login credentials. All applications, approval records, and documents will be managed through Cayuse IRB.
IRB Contacts
- IRB (Institutional Review Board) - For questions concerning the UNI IRB, contact IRB Administrator Lisa Ahern - lisa.ahern@uni.edu.
- Cayuse IRB - Application Support - For questions regarding use or issues regarding the Cayuse IRB system, please contact irbsupport@uni.edu.
IRB Policies and Procedures
0.1 Required Training
0.2 Forms and Samples
I. Administration
1.1 Background and Principles
1.2 Governmental Oversight and Regulations
1.3 IRB Scope and Authority
1.4 Non-compliance
1.5 Roles and Responsibilities (Institution and IRB)
1.6 Board Composition
1.7 IRB Meetings
II. IRB Review Process and Considerations
2.1 Which Projects Require Review
2.2 Class Projects
2.3 Key Personnel - Definition, Responsibilities, and Training
2.4 Study Site Cooperation
2.5 Application and Screening Process
2.6 Review Process
2.7 Inter-Institutional Research and Unaffiliated Researchers
2.8 Participants
2.9 Risks and Benefits
2.10 Privacy and Confidentiality
2.11 Recruitment
2.12 Consent
2.13 Compensation of Participants
2.14 Protections for Vulnerable Populations
2.15 Research with Children and Youth
2.16 Research in K-12 Educational Settings
2.17 Research Involving Audio or Video Recording
2.18 Research Involving Exercise
2.19 Research Using Existing or Secondary Data
2.20 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
III. After Approval
3.1 Continuing Review and Project Closure
3.2 Study Modifications
3.3 Reporting Problems and Adverse Events
Resources for Researchers
Primer for Reporting Data while Maintaining Confidentiality (PDF) - This is Chapter 2 of a report by the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology that describes how to protect confidentiality and privacy of participants when reporting statistical data from research studies.
International Compilation of Human Research Standards (PDF) - The Compilation features listings of over 1,000 laws, regulations, and guidelines on human subject protections in 113 countries, as well as standards issued by a number of international and regional organizations.
International Compilation of Social & Behavioral Research Standards - This listing from the Office for Human Research Protections covers 27 social-behavioral research standards from around the world.