Institutional Planning and Research

The CVTC Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews research projects which involve human subjects to ensure the following broad standards are upheld:

• the rights and welfare of the individual(s) involved are protected
• appropriate methods are used to secure consent
• any risks involved with the investigation are balanced by the benefits

There are three types of review methods:

Exempt from Review

There are specific criteria defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services that qualify a research project for exemption from review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The determination of whether a research project is exempt cannot be made by the Principal Investigator; it must be made by CVTC's IRB. These categories include research conducted in commonly accepted educational settings, using existing data and the use of educational tests. For a complete list and description of each of these exempt categories, please see the Criteria for Exemption description.

Expedited Review

Expedited review covers research that involves only minimal risk procedures (for example, the study of individual or group behavior in which the behavior is not manipulated and the subjects are not exposed to any stressful situation, removal of dental plaque, moderate exercise by normal volunteers). For a complete list and description of each of these expedited categories, please see the Criteria for Expedited description.

Full Committee Review

Research involving more than minimal risk to the participant requires review by the full IRB. Full review covers all research that is not specifically suited for "expedited review" or "screened as exempt from review." For a complete list and description of each of these full committee categories, please see the Full Committee Review description.