IRB Guidelines

St. Ambrose University faculty and staff are to comply with the policies and procedures governing review of research involving human participants. It is the responsibility of the principal investigators to inform themselves about the requirements of the review process and to present the material in good order.

It is the policy of the University that no research conducted under the jurisdiction of the University exposes persons who participate as participants or respondents to unreasonable risks to their health, general well-being, or privacy. Further, it is the policy of the University that no research conducted under its jurisdiction should be contrary to the mission of the institution.

In regard to research activities affiliated with St. Ambrose University, the Institutional Review Board has the authority to approve, require modifications in, disapprove, suspend, or terminate research activities involving human participants that do not comply with the St. Ambrose University Institutional Review Board policy. The Institutional Review Board also has the authority to observe or monitor ongoing research, as necessary, to protect human participants. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator and/or faculty sponsor to adhere to the St. Ambrose University Institutional Review Board policies; respond promptly to Institutional Review Board requests; and notify the Institutional Review Board of any changes to the research protocol. Violations of the Institutional Review Board policy may include but are not limited to:

1. Breaches of Institutional Review Board policies and procedures by a principal investigator or faculty sponsor;
2. Adverse events that are not immediately reported by the principal investigator(s) or faculty sponsor(s) after causing physical, psychological, social, or other harm to participants;
3. Changes in the risks and benefits of a study encountered during the course of the research; and/or
4. Other circumstances, which, in the judgment of the IRB, require action in order to protect human participants from harm.

All faculty, staff, or students who plan to use human participants in their primary research (for example, by utilizing surveys, focus groups, experiments, etc.) and/or are also planning to publish these findings (for example by, public presentation, journal article, book, website, master's thesis, doctoral dissertations, etc.) must first receive permission to do so from the St. Ambrose University Institutional Review Board and any other affiliated agencies before beginning the research.