Policies for Research Involving Human Subjects
Institutional Review Board
Trevecca Nazarene University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for ensuring compliance with established federal and University procedural and ethical guidelines for research.
The mission of the Institutional Review Board is to:
- Guard and protect the rights and well-being of human subjects,
- Promote the integrity of researchers in demonstrating leadership and compassion in dealing with their research subjects,
- Foster community respect for Trevecca's process in carrying out quality research while ensuring the dignity of research participants,
- Ensure compliance with established federal and University procedural and ethical guidelines.
Responsibilities
The Institutional Review Board will review all research involving human subjects. The IRB may approve, modify, or disapprove any research project not meeting the principles and ethical constraints of governmental or University guidelines concerning treatment of human subjects. The board will be responsible to review initial projects, projects continuing past a 12-month time frame, and any project where the methodology changes substantively.
Researchers under the auspices of the Institutional Review Board
Everyone whose research involves human subjects should submit an application for approval:
- All Trevecca faculty, staff, and administrators
- All doctoral candidates
- All students doing non-class related research (must be under the supervision of a faculty mentor)
- All non-Trevecca persons applying to use Trevecca's students, faculty, staff, or administrators in their research
- All faculty members requiring class-related research must submit a general outline of their students' projects to ensure the safety of human subjects and to establish accountability.
Training
Any research involving humans or human tissues conducted under the auspices of Trevecca Nazarene University must be reviewed by the Trevecca Nazarene University Institutional Review Board (IRB). Research with minimal involvement of human participants, such as surveys or questionnaires, require some procedural IRB review. Anyone whose research project requires IRB review must submit a completed certificate indicating that he or she has completed the training.
The following people may require training, depending on their research:
Doctoral students
Doctoral advisors
Students whose thesis research involves human subjects
Thesis advisors of students whose thesis research involves human subjects
Students conducting non-class-related research under the guidance of a faculty member
Researchers applying to use Trevecca Nazarene University's students, faculty, staff or administrators in their research
For further details and training instructions check Research on the Trevecca Web site: www.trevecca.edu/academics/research/
Contact Information
For questions about the Institutional Review Board, human subjects research, or other research-related issues, contact the Chair in the Institutional Review Board via email at IRB@trevecca.edu or by regular mail at the following address:
Institutional Review Board
Office of Academic Affairs
Trevecca Nazarene University
333 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN 37210