The University of Redlands IRB is charged with determining whether human subjects used in research conducted by University faculty, administrators, and students will be treated in accordance with the provisions in the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Research Subjects. On this website you can connect to the CITI Training website, download IRB forms, the procedures of the IRB, and connect to information about the IRBs and their activities.
IRB meeting dates
- Friday, September 27, 2024, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, September 19, 2024) - Friday, October 25, 2024, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, October 17, 2024) - Friday, November 22, 2024, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, November 14, 2024) - Friday, December 13, 2024, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, December 5, 2024) - Friday, January 24, 2025, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, January 16, 2025) - Friday, February 21, 2025, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, February 13, 2025) - Friday, March 21, 2025, 1:00 PM
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(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, March 13, 2025) - Friday, April 18, 2025, 1:00 PM
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(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, April 10, 2025) - Friday, May 23, 2025, 1:00 PM
Zoom
(applications requiring full board review due before 4:00pm on Thursday, May 15, 2025)
You can also explore this IRB website for detailed information about the IRB Standard Operating Procedures, policies and procedures (in the IRB manual), application forms, templates, sample applications, CITI Training, meeting schedule and other important information.
IRB FAQs
Refer to the IRB FAQs and the links below for answers to frequently asked questions about the IRB.
IRB Background
IRB is the acronym for Institutional Review Board for Human Participants. Any institution that receives federal funding to conduct research with human participants is required to establish an IRB to review all research that directly or indirectly involves human participants, and to set forth institutional policy governing such research. The University of Redlands IRB operates under a charge.
The IRB has the responsibility to review, approve, disapprove or require changes in research or related activities involving human participants. Research reviewed by the IRB may also be subject to other review and approval or disapproval by officials at the University of Redlands, such as the Provost. However, those officials may not approve research that has not been approved by the IRB. The IRB primary role is to ensure the protection of human participants as subjects of research.
The IRB is a board appointed by Provost of the University of Redlands. The composition consists of representatives from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, School of Business, School of Education, Graduate School of Theology, and the broader Redlands community. This last member, the “community” or “unaffiliated” member, cannot be affiliated with the University of Redlands—meaning that they do not work at the University or have any immediate family member who currently attends or works at the University.
For new applications, log into Sitero Mentor IRB using your University of Redlands credentials and follow the instructions on the Info page. Applications that require Full IRB Review are due on the dates listed on the IRB webpage. Applications for Exempt and Expedited review may be submitted any time.
The preparation and submission process differs for students and faculty, administrators, and staff.
Faculty, Administrators, and Staff
Faculty, administrators, and staff should should start their application in Sitero Mentor IRB and follow the instructions provided in the system to complete and submit it
Questions from faculty, administrators, and staff about the IRB and IRB applications may be directed to either the IRB Chair or IRB Administrative Coordinator.
Students
Students should start a new application in Sitero Mentor IRB. The system will instruct students to identify their Faculty Sponsor during the application creation process. During application setup, students should also identify the appropriate Unit IRB Coordinator for their project:
- Mousumi De, School of Education
- Eric McLaughlin, College of Arts and Sciences
- Christopher Ocker, San Francisco Theological Seminary
To complete and submit their application, students should follow the instructions provided in Axiom Mentor IRB.
Questions from students about the IRB application process should be directed to the appropriate unit coordinator or the IRB Administrative Coordinator.
- Log into Sitero Mentor.
- Open the approved application.
- Find the Amendments tab at the bottom of the application.
- Click Create New Amendment to open the amendment form.
- Check the amendment type, upload any revised documents, and then click
- Create Amendment.
- Answer the questions in the amendment form.
Note: Multiple amendment requests should be consolidated into one submission. Each amendment request submitted to the IRB is treated as a separate submission. Accordingly, repeated requests over a short time period can delay approval of all the amendments.
Expedited, exempt, and amendment reviews are completed 10 – 14 days after application submission. Review of applications that require full board review are completed 10 – 14 days after the relevant IRB meeting date. All applications undergo preliminary review by the IRB Administrative Coordinator, who may ask for revisions and corrections before the application is assigned to an IRB member for review. Preliminary reviews generally are completed within 1 – 3 days after application submission.
View the Forms section of this IRB website.
- Applicants fail to provide signed and appropriately dated gatekeeper letters that document permission to recruit participants in the manner they describe. If you are unsure from whom you need to obtain permission, contact the IRB Administrative Coordinator or the IRB Chair.
- Questionnaires, surveys, or sample interview questions are not included with the application.
- The application, recruitment materials, survey instruments, interview protocols, informed consent language, and/or other materials contain substantial grammatical and spelling errors.
- Methods and research procedures are inconsistently described in the application. Often, such inconsistencies happen when edits are made to one part of an application but not carried through to other relevant sections.
I need my application evaluated over the summer. How does the IRB handle applications submitted during June, July, and August?
Follow the same procedure as during the traditional academic calendar. If your project meets the criteria for expedited review, the IRB Chair review it. Note that reviews may take longer during the summer months. Applications requiring full board review will be discussed during the September IRB meeting.
How long will it take for me to obtain approval to do my study?
That depends on the nature of your study and the characteristics of the people you intend to recruit. Research projects that involve only minimal risks are eligible for expedited review, for which you should allow at least 3 – 4 weeks from submission to completion. Applications requiring substantial revisions may take considerably longer. Accordingly, it is important to submit a well-formulated and thoughtful application.
Research projects that involve greater than minimal risk to participants go to the full board for review. Full board meetings are scheduled the third Friday of every month during the academic year. Thus. the board does not meet during June, July, and August. Applications requiring full board review must be submitted at least 1 week in advance of a meeting. Applicants are notified by email of the outcome of the IRB’s decision within 10 – 14 days after the IRB meets.
Can the IRB approve a project "retroactively?"
No. There is no provision in the federal regulations that allow for IRB approval of research that has already been conducted. If data was collected for purposes that the IRB determines to be non-research (e.g., program evaluations for library or educational programs not initially intended to be used for research), IRB approval can be sought for the data analysis going forward.
Human Subjects Research Training
What training is required before conducting research with human subjects?
CITI on-line training is required for all project personnel who will have contact with subjects or will handle identifiable data from subjects. If you are new to the CITI training site. Click the Register button to create to a new account. Search for the University of Redlands as your organizational affiliation.
Completion of two courses is required:
- ‘Investigators – Human Subjects’ basic course and
- ‘Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research’ modules
Where can I find help with CITI Training?
Review the step-by-step guide on how to register and choose courses on the CITI Training site for help on getting started with IRB.
Confidentiality
I am not collecting any identifying information in my human participant research project. Do I need to submit my proposal to the IRB for review?
Yes, if your research project involves active data collection. Federal regulations and University of Redlands policy require that ALL research involving intervention or interaction with human participants, regardless of whether or not identifying information is being collected, must be submitted for review prior to beginning the research study.
Can I store research data in the cloud?
Research data may be stored in cloud services such as OneDrive and Dropbox if access to the service and folder is password protected. A folder stored in the cloud may not be shared publicly or with research personnel who are not approved to work with identifiable data.
Audio and Video Recording of Human Research Subjects
Audio and video recordings of research subjects are identifiable data because the images and voices of the subjects may be recognized. Accordingly, PIs must use procedures to protect the confidentiality of any research subjects who are recorded. Such procedures include:
- Only using audio recordings whenever possible
- Using pseudonyms in recordings of research subjects
- Transcribing recordings into de-identified data and destroying recordings as soon as possible
- Using dedicated, password-protected devices rather than phones to record conversations with research subjects
Can I use Zoom or a similar communication tool to record interviews with human research subjects?
Yes. However, the following human subjects protections should be observed:
- Create private, password-protected meetings for the interviews.
- Enable a waiting room function so that new attendees must be approved by the host.
- Establish ground rules for subjects so that they do not record or take screen shots of sessions they participate in.
- If you are recording a meeting and not automatically generating a transcript or automatic summary, record the meeting to your password-protected device. Delete the recording once a deidentified transcript has been produced.
- If you are recording a meeting to produce a transcript and, optionally, an automatic summary, record the meeting in the cloud and do the following:
- download the video, transcript, summary, and other files immediately after the meeting is completed
- delete these files from the cloud
- when the research transcript has been verified and de-identified, delete the video file and all other original files downloaded from the cloud
- Inform subjects if recordings of meetings will be made, where such recordings will be stored, and when and how the recordings will be deleted. If cloud recordings will be created during the meetings, inform subjects that such recordings are accessible by the service provider until deleted. Note this information in the informed consent forms distributed to the participants.
Research Methods
Does the university have a license for survey software that students, faculty, and staff can use for research projects?
Yes! The University of Redlands has an institutional license for the online Qualtrics software. To request access to Qualtrics, send an email to survey@redlands.edu that includes a one-sentence description of the type(s) of survey(s) you plan to implement.
What is debriefing and why should I debrief human research subjects?
Debriefing happens at the conclusion of a human subject's participation in a study. The process gives the PI an opportunity to thank research participants, educate them about the research being conducted, check in about the subjects' welfare, and give them an opportunity to ask questions and/or reflect on their experience. When deception is used in a research study, debriefing is required. A debriefing statement will include the following information:
- Study title and names and contact information of the study team
- Goals of the research
- How to ask questions and/or provide feedback about the research
- How to withdraw from the study
- Where research subjects may find help if the study has caused discomfort or distress
- How research subjects may receive a description of the results of the study
- A thank you for participating
Student Research
Do research projects conducted by Redlands students need IRB approval?
Possibly. Projects conducted by Redlands undergraduate and graduate students need IRB approval if the project fits the definitions of "research" and "human participants" as described above. See the IRB Manual for guidance on course projects.
If I have students doing research as part of a course project, do they need to complete IRB applications?
Possibly. Seethe IRB Manual for guidance on course projects.
Collaborations
I will be collaborating with another institution. Do I need to submit to Redlands’ IRB and the other institution?
If you are a member of the University of Redlands faculty or staff, or student, and you are the person responsible for the conduct of the study (PI), you must get Redlands IRB approval to conduct your research regardless of where the research takes place. Investigators should contact the IRB office whenever collaborative research is occurring. Separate applications for each institution may be necessary; however, in order to avoid duplicate review, an IRB Authorization Agreement may be arranged with the other institution to establish one IRB as the designated IRB to review and approve the research. If it has already been approved at another university and you are going to collect data here, please submit your application as an expedited review with the other institutions FWA number included.
International Research
My research will be conducted in another country. Do I have to obtain IRB review and approval from Redlands?
Yes. If you are a member of the University of Redlands faculty or staff, or a student, and you are the person responsible for the conduct of the study (PI), you must get Redlands IRB approval to conduct your research regardless of where the research takes place. You should also be aware that your project may need local IRB approval (or the equivalent ethical review) in addition to ours.
Support
Who can I talk to if I have a question about my research project involving human participants?
The IRB Administrative Coordinator, Steven Moore, and IRB chair, Riaz Tejani, can answer questions about your project and IRB review.
Resources
Forms
Legacy Forms - For applications submitted prior to Sitero Mentor.
IRB Board and Contacts
The IRB consists of:
- Alayne Sullivan (qualitative/quantitative social scientist)
- Lisa Olson (natural scientist)
- Piers Britton (non-scientist)
- Lori Horter (external community member)
- Eric McLauglin (qualitative/quantitative social scientist)
- Riaz Tejani (qualitative/quantitative social scientist, Chair).
If you cannot find what you're looking for or have any questions, please e-mail Steven Moore, IRB Administrator.