Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB)
“For without responsible and ethical behavior in research, everything else is irrelevant.”
–Kelvin K. Droegemeier
For more information about the NSU IRB or this web page, contact Dr. Jim Mischler, Director, at the IRB Office: 318-357-5228; irb@nsula.edu.
WELCOME!
The NSU IRB follows the 2018 revisions to the federal regulations–called the “Common Rule”–that govern U.S. IRBs. The complete text of the Common Rule (formally called 45 CFR 46) is located at https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html
NEW: Starting Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the following changes will be instituted in Mentor, the NSU IRB online application submission and review system:
- Revised Pre-Protocol Survey (PPS): The Survey now has a total of three questions (the previous version had 10 questions). Depending on the answers, Mentor will direct the researcher to the appropriate IRB application form–Quality Improvement [QI]; Not Human Subjects Research [NHSR]; or, Exempt. NOTE: Expedited and Full Board reviews will be determined by the NSU IRB, based on the information provided in the QI, NHSR, or Exempt form.
- New Quality Improvement (QI) application form: QI is a type of NHSR study, and it is quite common at NSU. For that reason, we have developed a form just for this type of study. To get to the QI form, answer “Yes” to Question #1 in the new PPS.
NOTE: The purpose of these changes is to reduce further the amount of time and effort spent by the researcher to fill out and submit the IRB application form.
One other important change:
Logging in to Mentor: The system uses Single Sign-on (SSO) to manage user access. First, log in to the NSU computer network using your email credentials. Then, use the following link to automatically log in to Mentor: https://www.axiommentor.com/login/shibLogin.cfm?i=nsula.
IMPORTANT: The NSU IRB recommends submitting all research applications at least six weeks before the planned research start date in case full review (Expedited or Full Board) of the study is required. The typical timeframe for the NSU IRB to complete a review of a study–in each Review Type–is as follows (in business days): QI or NHSR Review = 3-5 days; Exempt = 6-10 days; Expedited = 11-20 days; Full Board = 21-40 days.
Contact the IRB Office (318-357-5228; irb@nsula.edu) with any questions about completing the application and/or the protocol review process. We are happy to consult on a research proposal and recommend doing so prior to submission of the IRB application form.
Researcher Training [Do this FIRST]
NSU IRB Review Process - 2024-25
Supplemental Documentation
Post-approval Monitoring [ONLY for protocols approved before 8/15/2023]
NSU IRB Office Information - 2024-25
In compliance with policies established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), when human beings are used as subjects in research projects, safeguards must be established to protect the health, well-being and rights of the subjects. University policy requires that all research proposals for which data is to be collected from human subjects shall be submitted to the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board to determine whether a formal review is required. It is the responsibility of the NSU faculty member to assure compliance with this policy in research conducted by either a student advisee or the faculty member.
