IRB Training Modules

The following training and education modules are designed for personnel proposing to conduct, or those reviewing research involving human subjects. Research using human subjects is heavily regulated by the federal government and requires targeted training and documentation of that training. When submitting a research proposal to the IRB, you will be asked to certify that you have reviewed these training modules. You may review them online (below), pick up a paper copy in the Dean's office, or download a file containing all the modules in Word format.

The following is an excerpt of a message about education and training from Jeffery Cohen, Office for the Protection from Research Risks (OPRR), the federal office responsible for oversight and compliance with human subjects research regulations and guidelines (May 1999)

"There are two basic features of an education program that OPRR looks for - that it is ongoing and that it reaches everyone involved in human subjects research at an institution.The necessity to train IRB members is obvious, as without proper training the IRB cannot make informed decisions. Equally important is the necessity to train the individuals who actually conduct the human subjects research. Unless the IRB can be sure that these individuals understand the issues involved in human subjects research (informed consent, risk/benefit, confidentiality, etc.) it cannot be sure that the subjects in the research are being adequately protected." 

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the institution and the IRB to adequately train and educate researchers and IRB members in topics pertinent to the programs ongoing at that institution. The following training and education modules provide that material. Each module targets a different aspect of human subjects research. There is some redundancy between modules, but the information that is found to be in common among the modules is important to the overall understanding of the critical issues involved.

• Module 1: History of Research Abuse of Human Subjects
• Module 2: Introduction to Human Subjects Research
• Module 3: The IRB Review Process
• Module 4: The Belmont Report
• Module 5: Identifying, Assessing, and Minimizing Risks of Social and Behavioral Research
• Module 6: Ethics of Research with Human Subjects