Institutional Review Board
The function of the IRB is to protect the safety, welfare, rights, and privacy of all participants in human subjects research that proceeds under the guidance of faculty, staff, and students on our campus. Our Policy and Procedures derive from the ethical principles that were first articulated in the Belmont Report issued by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research in 1979.
The links on this page provide you with the directions and forms you need to submit a proposal to the IRB for consideration.
Does your project have to be reviewed by the IRB?
According to federal regulations, research is defined as a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. In other words, your project should be reviewed by the IRB if it meets the following criteria:
- You are utilizing human participants in your research AND
- Your data collection methods are systematic and methodical AND
- The goal of your research activities is to contribute to the generalizable scientific knowledge base of a discipline (e.g., you plan to publish your results in a scholarly journal or you plan to present your findings at professional conference)
Whether or not your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB, all Hood College faculty, staff, and students have the responsibility to protect the safety, welfare, rights, and privacy of all participants from or about whom a researcher may collect data.
If you have questions about whether or not your project needs IRB review, please contact Jolene Sanders, IRB chair, at sandersj@hood.edu, or consult with your department’s IRB liaison.
- Hood College Institutional Review Board policies and procedures
- Proposal submission template
- Informed consent template
Acknowledgement: The Hood College IRB policies and procedures were adapted from those of Skidmore College. Hood College thanks the members of the IRB at Skidmore College for their generosity.
| Proposal Due By 4:00 p.m. Fridays | IRB Meeting Fridays |
|---|---|
| Sept. 6 | Sept. 13 |
| Sept. 20 | Sept. 27 |
| Oct. 4 | Oct. 11 |
| Oct. 18 | Oct. 25 |
| Nov. 1 | Nov. 8 |
| Nov. 15 | Nov. 22 |
| Dec. 6 | Dec. 13 |
| Jan. 24, 2025 | Jan. 31, 2025 |
| Feb. 7 | Feb. 14 |
| Feb. 21 | Feb. 28 |
| Mar. 7 | Mar. 14 |
| Mar. 21 | Mar. 28 |
| April 4 | April 11 |
| April 18 | April 25 |
| May 2 | May 9 |
A risk matrix will be used for assessing in-person human subject research. It is recommended that direct human subject contact be kept to a minimum and that remote data collection technologies continue to be utilized. All research proposals need to reflect the guidelines as presented in the Hood Promise of Fall Plan.
1. Researcher prepares proposal (using Hood College Research Proposal Template)
2. Researcher submits proposal and all supporting documents. Required supporting documents include:
All proposals (protocols) are to be submitted via email. Researchers are asked to attach their proposals (prepared using the Research Proposal Template) and other supporting documents as e-mail attachments to irb@hood.edu. Supporting documents include the informed Consent Form (prepared using the Hood College Informed Consent Form Template), copies of all questionnaires and data collection instruments, and any other supporting documentation.
NOTE: If your department has an IRB Liaison, proposals should first be submitted to that person.
Overview of Proposal Submission Process
- the consent form,
- all questionnaires and measures that participants will receive including the specific questions and treatments,
- the debriefing form. Researcher emails all documents to irb@hood.edu.
- IRB Coordinator notifies researcher (via email) that materials have been received and provides researcher the proposal number associated with that proposal. This number is to be used in all correspondence related to the proposal.
- Proposal and all documents go to IRB Chair who decides on the type of review required.
- Researcher may be asked for more information throughout the process to revise proposal.
- The IRB seeks to be as timely and responsive to review requests as possible. The IRB needs at least two weeks to review a proposal. See the IRB Meeting Schedule and Proposal Deadlines. 
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