Institutional Review Board

    [Faculty Handbook Category #2]

    The purpose of the St. Olaf College Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to safeguard the rights and well-being of human subjects in projects conducted at or sponsored by the college.  The IRB is a college-wide body appointed by the Faculty Life Committee, as per Faculty Manual 3.IV.B.4.b.v., approved by theDean of the College and registered with the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Its membership and responsibilities are governed by federal regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects and by the terms of the Federalwide Assurance (FWA) for the Protection of Human Subjects filed by the college with OHRP.

    Responsibilities include:

    1. Developing and disseminating federally-compliant policies for the protection of human subjects;
    2. Developing and implementing institutionally-appropriate procedures for ensuring the protection of human subjects in all projects conducted at or sponsored by the college, in collaboration with other members of the St. Olaf community;
    3. Promoting professional development within the St. Olaf community about the ethical and legal obligations associated with human subjects projects;
    4. Conducting reviews of research project proposals, including those required by federal regulations, to ensure that such research will be carried out in a manner which safeguards the rights and well-being of the subjects.

    Personnel shall in all instances be selected to comply with federal legal requirements, but generally shall consist of:

    1. A scientist of the St. Olaf faculty
    2. A non-scientist of the St. Olaf faculty
    3. A third member of the St. Olaf faculty
    4. The Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
    5. A member of the staff of the Office of Government, Foundation, and Corporate Relations
    6. An individual with relevant expertise or experience who is not an employee of St. Olaf College

    From the Office for Human Research Protections on the distinction between a scientist and non-scientist members: Members whose training, background, and occupation would incline them to view scientific activities from the standpoint of someone within a behavioral or biomedical research discipline should be considered a scientist, while members whose training, background, and occupation would incline them to view research activities from a standpoint outside of any biomedical or behavioral scientific discipline should be considered a nonscientist. In addition, the IRB must have members with sufficient knowledge of the specific scientific discipline(s) relevant to the research that it reviews.

    The Dean of the College, in consultation with the chair, shall appoint the new IRB chair from among the current IRB faculty members.

    The term of appointment for faculty members of the Institutional Review Board shall be three years. Appointments are renewable. The terms shall be staggered.

    updated February 9, 2023