Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is designated by Chaffey College to support faculty, staff, students and outside researchers to complete their research in a way that is compliant with federal and state laws and College policy. As such, the IRB is charged to review, approve initiation of, and conduct periodic reviews of research projects that involve human participants. As mandated by federal law and consistent with Chaffey College policy, each investigator must have prior dated and written approval from the IRB before beginning a research project that uses human participants. Although some studies may be exempt from ongoing IRB oversight, eligibility for exemption from IRB oversight is determined by the IRB, so researchers must submit the application below even if they believe their research may be exempt.

The purpose of this webpage is to provide investigators and the research community at Chaffey College, as well as outside researchers wishing to include Chaffey College students or employees as research participants, with the information and materials that are needed to obtain IRB approval of research that involves human participants.

To apply for IRB approval please click on the link below:

IRB Application

Note: Federal Regulations stipulate that a research study can be exempt if meets one or more of the following conditions:

 

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(1) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as

1. Research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or
2. Research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.

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(2) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless:

1. information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and
2. any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation.

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(3) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under exemption #2 (above), if:

1. the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or
2. Federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.

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(4) Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

 

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(5) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of Department or Agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine:

1. Public benefit or service programs;
2. procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs;
3. possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or
4. possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.

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(6) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (i) if wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (ii) if a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Federal regulations Stipulate that a study cannot be exempt if:

 

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(1) The study targets one or more of the following populations:

1. Prisoners
2. Fetuses and/or
3. Pregnant Women

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(2) The study involves the following types of research:

1. Human in-vitro fertilization (i.e. and fertilization of human ova which occurs outside the body of the human);
2. Review of records if the information gathered from these records is identified in such a way that it can be linked back to the individual (either directly or through the use of a code);
3. Surveys or interviews given to minors;
4. Any procedure that may cause a subject either physical of psychological discomfort or is perceived as harassment above and beyond what the person would experience in everyday life;
5. Deception;
6. Observation of minors if the investigator participates in the activities being observed unless there is a federal statute covering the activity;
7. If the sponsoring agency requires that the proposed research received full or expedited review even when the activities would otherwise qualify for exemption; or
8. The study involves genetic research (Chaffey College’s IRB policy)

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Studies granted exemption by the IRB are exempted for the life of the research unless changes are made to the study procedures.  Changes to exempted research must be reviewed by the IRB to ensure that the research continues to qualify for exemption.  Even minor changes to research may necessitate IRB review under current regulations.  Investigators are encouraged to contact the IRB office if changes to exempted research occur and there are questions regarding the need to submit research for continuing exemption determination.

Contact Information:

For more information contact the Chaffey College co-chairs: