Animal Care & Human Subjects
Per Federal guidelines every institution must have an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for maintaining safety and integrity in its research practices. The Animal Care and Human Subjects (ACHS) committee serves the role of an IRB for the university. The Faculty Handbook describes the functions and responsibilities of committees at the university.
The primary purpose of the ACHS is to ensure you understand what risks exist for the subjects of your research, and that you have minimized those risks. To protect your subjects we may request changes to your protocol.
With regards to research with animals, ACHS review and approval is required. Research with animals should balance the ethical and responsible care of animals with the research value. To access the Animal Research Review Form, click here.
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
The current committee consists of:
- Colleen Stevenson, Chair
- Derek Bennett
- Brian Bergstrom
- Mary Coury
- Rachel Elliott, Veterinarian
- Scott Pray
FACULTY RESEARCH ADVISOR CHECKLIST
Research faculty advisors, the Research Advisor Checklist provides a list of information that is sometimes left out of a protocol. When incomplete forms are submitted, it can lead to longer timeframes. Your cooperation ensures that when you do submit proposals, they can be reviewed in a timely manner. Only faculty research advisors should submit the ACHS form, not the student.
TURNAROUND TIMES
In general, you can expect to receive feedback within two weeks of the committee receiving the proposal. However, there are certain peak times, toward the end of the semester, when volume is high and the committee might need more time. So please submit as early in the semester as possible.
FAQ
First time submitters may wish to view this list of frequently asked questions. This may help to reduce the numbers of resubmissions you may need to make.
CONSENT FORMS
While signed consent forms are the default option for demonstrating you have received consent when conducting research with human subjects, the Code of Federal Regulations [2018] (Available at https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/i…) says the following:
(c) An IRB may waive the requirement for the investigator to obtain a signed consent form for some or all subjects if it finds either: (1) That the only record linking the subject and the research would be the consent document and the principal risk would be potential harm resulting from a breach of confidentiality. Each subject will be asked whether the subject wants documentation linking the subject with the research, and the subject's wishes will govern; or (2) That the research presents no more than minimal risk of harm to subjects and involves no procedures for which written consent is normally required outside of the research context. In cases in which documentation requirement is waived, the IRB may require the investigator to provide subject with a written statement regarding the research.'
If the research you are conducting would be anonymous if there were no signed form for informed consent and there is a minimal risk involved, you may apply for a waiver of documentation. If, on the other hand, the work has no foreseen risks involved and you would otherwise not ask for signed consent, then you may also apply for informed consent. In both cases, however, you must offer subjects a written statement of how to contact you and what they are doing in the project.
An informed consent template can be found here.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS
The Human Subjects Form link can be found here. Only faculty members should submit proposals to ACHS. If you are a student, your proposal must go through your faculty research advisor.
Human Subjects Form Revised (7.22)
An informed consent template and a recruitment, consent, confidentiality guidelines page are provided for your recommended use.
To modify a study that has been previously approved and access the Change in Protocol Form, use this form.
Exempt forms are below. Be sure to select the one that fits your exempt category. Please note: International Research can never qualify for exempt status. For more information about which category to use (and whether your research qualifies as exempt), click here.
Exempt Form for Category 1 Educational Strategies Curricula or Classroom Management Methods
Exempt Form for Category 2 Tests Surveys Interviews Observations
Exempt Form for Category 3 Benign Behavioral Interventions with Adults
Exempt Form for Category 3a Retrospective Medical Record Review
CONTACT THE ACHS
Questions or comments can be directed to the ACHS by emailing achs@muskingum.edu.