Use of Human Subjects and the Institutional Review Board
With approval from your committee at the dissertation proposal meeting, you are ready to carry through with the data collection and analyses for your dissertation. It is expected that you will continue to do so under the close supervision of your faculty sponsor. Students are not allowed to begin data collection in connection with their dissertation until they have conducted a successful dissertation proposal meeting.
Prior to the collection of any data , the student researcher (sponsored by a faculty member) must have completed all the steps of the review process and received formal approval from the Office of Research Support and Compliance (RSC) . Researchers should become familiar with the Institutional Review Board Procedures Manual for Faculty, Staff and Student Researchers with Human Participants ( www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/humanresearch/manual ).
All dissertations now require filing an application with the Institutional Revue Board, so you should discuss this with your dissertation supervisor early in your dissertation process. In order to safeguard the rights and welfare of subjects who may be at risk through participation in such activities (including both funded and non-funded research), the Institutional Review Board (IRB) conducts reviews for the RSC.
UT Austin faculty, staff, or students who propose to engage in any research, demonstration, development, or other activity involving the use of human subjects must have prior review and approval of that activity by their Departmental Review Committee (DRC), which is the officially-designated representative of the IRB.
All research projects will fall into one of three categories:
- Exempt (Minimal Risk – exempt from IRB review)*
- Expedited (Minimal Risk – subject to expedited IRB review procedure)*
- Full Board (More than Minimal Risk -- subject to Full Board review)
* These categories are further explained in the IRB Manual.
All new applications are completed and submitted on-line.
TIP: Under Step 2, #3, Department Review Chair, enter Toni Falbo’s EID (falbotl); for #4, Research Assistant/Project Coordinator, enter Linda Williams ’ EID (linnwill).
Linda will submit a copy of your proposal to the DRC for approval. You will receive an e-mail once your proposal has been approved by the DRC so you can go on-line and submit your study to the RSC.
All Full Board proposals must have 20 copies of the uploaded documents delivered to the ORSC by the Monday following the meeting deadline. This applies to new, amended and continuation studies. Students are not to use printers or copiers belonging to the Department of Educational Psychology for these purposes.
Human Participant Training (Required)
IRB User Guide is available at www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/humanresearch/users_guide.
Step by Step Tips for completing the application
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The IRB meets once a month for Full Board reviews, and the deadline for submission of materials is very strict and well in advance of the meeting. If revisions are necessary, a second IRB review will take place. See the deadline schedule.
Please contact Danny Escareno at the RSC (daniel.escareno@mail.utexas.edu or 471-8871) if you have any questions about the deadlines.
