Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for overseeing all research done at Carleton by faculty, students or staff that involves human subjects. The goals of the IRB are to ensure that researchers understand and uphold the following two standards dictated by federal law:

1. Human subjects should not be placed at undue risk;
2. Subjects should give uncoerced, informed consent to their participation in the research.

Everyone who is considering submitting an application should read the information on the “How do I apply?” page covering the details of using the IRB application system.

Carleton’s IRB application system is hosted in OnBase, the campus information management system. 

Questions regarding the IRB in general and the application system in particular should be directed to Julia Strand, IRB Chair and Professor of Psychology.

Useful Resources

• Information about the IRB application process including: Application and Consent Forms.
• The IRB’s “Frequently Asked Questions” provides a great deal of information about human subjects research, applications to the IRB, and the application review and approval process.
• The Campus Handbook provides background information on the legal underpinnings of the IRB’s operations and on various policies related to the IRB.
• Carleton subscribes to online training for Human Subjects Research through the CITI – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative program, which provides investigators with a basic introduction to the principles of ethical research on human subjects.