Institutional Review Board (IRB) Home

IRB Responsibility Matrix

Please consult the following for staff contacts regarding IRB inquiries:

• IRB (Institutional Review Board) - For questions, inquiries, modification requests, and other issues regarding the IRB, please contact Interim IRB Administrator Rebecca Rinehart - rebecca.rinehart@uni.edu (please CC sean.parrish@uni.edu).

• IRB Submissions & Training - To submit new study applications (including Standard and Existing Data applications, K-12 and Oral History forms) or for questions about IRB training, please contact rsp@uni.edu.

• IACUC (Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee) - For all questions about animal care on campus and/or the IACUC, please contact IACUC Chair David McClenahan - david.mclenahan@uni.edu.

• RIO (Research Integrity Officer) - To report questionable research practices or incidences of observed or suspected misconduct, please contact the UNI RIO, Associate VP of Research Jennifer Waldron - jennifer.waldron@uni.edu.

• Other -  For all other questions on any topic not covered above, please contact the Director of RSP Tolif Hunt - tolif.hunt@uni.edu.

Resuming Face-to-Face (F2F) Research

Although all researchers are asked to continue remote/virtual data collection, starting Monday, August 3, 2020, F2F is permissible with IRB approval. As resuming F2F data collection or changing to remote/virtual data collection would be considered a study modification, this request must be sent to Rebecca Rinehart, Interim IRB Administrator at rebecca.rinehart@uni.edu (please CC sean.parrish@uni.edu) for review and approval before being implemented. 

• Resuming F2F Research Flow Chart (PDF) ​- Consult this flowchart to determine your next steps if your protocol was approved prior to March, 13, 2020 and you would like to resume F2F data collection.

• IRB F2F Resuming Research Addendum (PDF) - This form is only for restarting F2F research that was approved prior to March 13, 2020.

• COVID-19 Sample Consent Form-Adults or Parents (DOC) - A template document for writing a consent form for adult participants or parents that includes language related to COVID-19 considerations.

Face-to-Face (F2F) Data Collection and Risk

Risk of exposure to COVID-19 during data collection follows OSHA, CDC, and UNI guidelines.

High-risk face-to-face data collection is generally restricted at UNI. High-risk F2F data collection means a high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of COVID-19, including:

• Aerosol-generating procedures
  • Exercising (e.g., VO2 max)
  • Inducing cough, sneeze, or strong exhale (e.g., spirometer)
• Specimen collection that may generate a cough or a sneeze
• Contact with individuals who have or were exposed to COVID-19

Those scholars who wish to pursue high-risk F2F data collection may contact David Oesterle, UNI Environmental Health and Safety, extension 3-7491, to complete a hazard assessment. A determination that the data could be collected would allow scholars to submit an IRB protocol. The scholar must include the hazard assessment agreement with the IRB submission. The IRB makes the final approval of the study. If the hazard assessment discovers F2F data collection is not feasible due to risk, the scholar will either (a) change data collection or (b) postpone data collection until it is safer.  

Medium risk face-to-face data collection will occur on a case-by-case basis at UNI. The ability to engage in medium risk face-to-face data collection is dependent on the degree of risk and the researcher’s ability to mitigate the risk. Researchers should contact the IRB Administrator before submitting their IRB application to determine feasibility. 

• Medium exposure risk includes frequent or close contact with people who are not known nor suspected of being infected with COVID-19, including:
  • Specimen collection
  • Interaction with the general public
    • Interviews
    • Survey collection

Those scholars who wish to pursue medium-risk F2F data collection may contact David Oesterle, UNI Environmental Health and Safety, extension 3-7491, to complete a hazard assessment. A determination that the data could be collected would allow scholars to submit an IRB protocol. The scholar must include the hazard assessment agreement with the IRB submission. The IRB makes the final approval of the study. If the hazard assessment discovers F2F data collection is not feasible due to risk, the scholar will either (a) change data collection or (b) postpone data collection until it is safer.  

Low-risk face-to-face data collection is unrestricted at UNI. Researchers will seek IRB approval and add mitigation strategies as needed.

• Low exposure risk includes no contact nor close contact with people who are known or suspected of being infected with COVID-19, including:
  • Secondary data
  • Data already collected for a different purpose
    • Typical classroom activity
    • Typical weight-room activity

Information about the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Protections for Human Research Participants

IRB Training

IRB Forms and Samples

IRB Members

IRB Meeting Schedule

IRB Policies and Procedures

I. Administration

Background and Principles
Governmental Oversight and Regulations
IRB Scope and Authority
Noncompliance
Roles and Responsibilities (Institution and IRB)
Board Composition
IRB Meetings

II. IRB Review Process and Considerations

III. After Approval

Continuing Review and Project Closure
Study Modifications
Reporting Problems

General Questions

You have submitted your IRB Application. What happens next? (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions

Resources for Researchers

Questions concerning processing of IRB protocols or research projects involving human subjects should be directed to the Interim IRB Administrator Rebecca Rinehart, rebecca.rinehart@uni.edu.