Our Mission
The role of the WCSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to review and to approve, when in compliance, all proposed research at WCSU or by WCSU faculty, staff or students to ensure that the research meets Federal standards for the safety and protection of any human subjects involved in the research.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) for an institution is a committee mandated by federal law to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research activities. Compliance is monitored by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The law is specific to research conducted or supported by a federal department or agency. However, a majority of research institutions voluntarily apply this regulation (45 CFR 46) to all research conducted at their site, regardless of status or source of funding. The IRB achieves its primary function, protecting the rights and welfare of subjects participating in research, by educating researchers. An educated investigator makes the IRB's job easier. Educating researchers about the requirements assists them in complying with the regulations before problems occur.
