Institutional Review Board

About the Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The CT State IRB is charged with the review of all proposed research studies to be performed by CT State administrators, faculty, staff, and students as well as requests from external researchers. All research studies or use of CT State resources must comply with IRB policies and procedures. IRB review will ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are protected, risks are minimized, the benefits of the research are identifiable, participation by human subjects is both informed and voluntary, and all research is conducted in a manner that is consistent with established ethical standards.

IRB Members

  • Michael Amico, Assistant Professor of Psychology, CT State Housatonic
  • Parth Desai, OTD, Goodwin University
  • Luz Londono Diaz, PhD, Associate Professor of Economics, CT State Manchester
  • David DiMattio, PhD, Dean for the School of Science & Mathematics, CT State (IRB Co-Chair)
  • Sohair Omar, MPP, Campus Director of Institutional Research at CT State Naugatuck Valley (IRB Co-Chair)
  • Francine Rosselli-Navarra, PhD, Professor of Psychology, CT State Manchester
  • Joshua Searcy, Ed.D., Dean for the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, CT State
  • Meredith Yuhas, PhD, Director of Mental Health and Wellness, CT State

Due Dates and Meeting Schedule

IRB applications are due on September 30 or February 15 each year.

The CT State IRB meets on the second Thursday of October and November during fall semesters and on the second Thursday of March and April during spring semesters. Meeting dates may be adjusted due to holidays.

Note: Internal researchers (CT State employees) may request an off-calendar review if the proposed research is part of a grant application.

Forms

Please download and save these forms to your computer first and then type your answers. E-mail the completed forms to CTState-IRB@ct.edu, including the title of your research study in the subject.

CT State IRB Application

CT State IRB Informed Consent Form Template

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you wish to conduct research with human subjects at CT State, including students, administrators, faculty, or staff, you must apply for IRB approval before beginning your research. Federal regulations and CT State policies require IRB approval for research with human subjects.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Human Research Protections provides guidance to help researchers determine if IRB approval will be required. Their decision charts can be found here.

All research conducted at CT State must be carried out under the supervision of a CT State faculty (tenured or tenure track) or staff member and have the approval of the IRB. Researchers from other institutions seeking to conduct research at CT State must collaborate with a CT State sponsor who ensures that the research is conducted in accordance with the approval conditions of the CT State IRB and that all reports are submitted in a timely manner. Please note that CT State does not permit class (instructional) time to be used for research studies and students and employees should not feel compelled to participate in any research studies.

Any individual conducting research at CT State must successfully complete the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Human Research Protection Foundational Training (specifically, Lesson 1), which is free, or other comparable training. Each researcher must provide their training certificate as part of CT State’s IRB Application.

Yes, the CT State IRB accepts umbrella applications for research courses so long as:

  • Every student completes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Human Research Protection Foundational Training (specifically, Lesson 1), which is free, or other comparable training.
  • The umbrella projects:
    • Meet the regulatory definition of minimal risk human subject research
    • Do not have any federal funding sources
    • Do not involve Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated products
    • Do not require parent permission for children as subjects
    • Do not target pregnant women
    • Do not involve prisoners
  • The faculty member submits a Principal Investigator (PI) Oversight Plan, along with their application, for the purpose of compliance with federal regulations and CT State policies.

Contact Information

Should you have any questions regarding conducting research on human subjects at CT State, contact the CT State IRB at CTState-IRB@ct.edu.