The purpose of the Radford University Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to promote the ethical use of human participants in research studies conducted by the faculty, staff, students, and all those under the purview of Radford University, regardless of funding. The IRB is responsible for reviewing all human subject research for compliance with federally mandated research guidelines and University policy.
The Radford IRB's mission is to support Radford University’s commitment to research by working to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects who participate in research. This commitment is guided by the ethical principles described in the Belmont Report and in applicable federal regulations.
The Radford University IRB works with the Research Compliance Office (RCO) to ensure that compliance with federal regulations and ethical principles creates research environments that proactively protect study participants as researchers achieve their research goals. The RCO and IRB board members are dedicated to protecting research participants by verifying that research is conducted in compliance with 45 CFR 46, following the ethical principles described in the Belmont Report.
The Research Compliance Office and IRB members work with researchers to understand how to successfully navigate the IRB process while still advocating for participant protection. It is our responsibility to see that our processes are efficient and thorough; we strive to make our interactions with researchers both professional and helpful, and our direction insightful and informative. The research process brings multiple parties together including researchers, participants, the government, and the University. The RCO serves these parties by reviewing research and providing recommendations on how research should proceed, as well as providing education and training for our research community.
The Radford University IRB is appointed by the Institutional Official, the Associate Provost for Research, Faculty Success, and Strategic Initiatives. Members of the IRB serve a 3-year term that is renewable at the discretion of the Institutional Official.
For operational purposes, as required by federal law, this commitment is vested in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Research involving Human Subjects, which operates under a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) on file with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS):
To comply with the Code of Virginia § 32.1-162.19, Radford University reviews, in the same manner, all research involving human subjects conducted by its faculty, staff, and students.
The Radford IRB does not review human subject research involving the use of investigational drugs or devices.
Radford University utilizes IRBManager's online submission, workflow, and data management systems. IRBManager can be accessed under One Campus, using your Radford University email and password and searching for Research Compliance/IRB Manager: IRB & IACUC.