Colgate's Institutional Review Board (IRB) supervises and approves all research involving human participants. If you are not familiar with IRB practice contact your adviser or the IRB chair for advice prior to submission.

Where to Start

All student and faculty investigators are encouraged to read the document "Research with Human Participants: A Manual for Investigators.”

General Policy

It is Colgate's policy (consistent with federal regulations) that all faculty and student research involving human participants be reported to the Institutional Review Board. Research that poses no risk to participants is exempt from review, but must be reported to the IRB and certified as exempt. All other research must be formally reviewed through either expedited review or full review procedures.

Important Note: Instructions for all expedited and full-review proposals can be found on the proposal submission page.

What Does the IRB Consider?

All research covered by Colgate's policy needs to be reviewed by the IRB to ensure that human research participants are treated in an ethical manner. The IRB seeks to ensure that researchers understand and uphold two standards: first, that human participants should not be placed at undue risk; second, that participants should give uncoerced, informed consent to their participation in the research.

Proposal Categories

Learn whether your project falls under the federal definition of research. The IRB only reviews projects defined as research.

Proposal categories

Proposal Creation Guidelines

Review detailed guidelines and examples for the various forms of documentation required for review by the IRB.

Proposal creation guidelines

Proposal Submission Guidelines

Information about submitting expedited and full-review proposals, as well as exemption requests.

Proposal submission guidelines