Faculty Advisers of Student Research

Complete CITI Human Subjects Research Training. Training certificates are valid for four years.

• Review the IRB Application Tips page.
• Ensure the student PI fully understands the importance of the informed consent process and discuss any additional protections that may be necessary, depending on the intended population.
• Develop with the PI a secure plan for data storage, as well as plans to transfer any identifiable data to you prior to the PI’s graduation.
• Make sure the PI has secured written permission from organizations, schools, and/or other sites where research may take place.
• Review all parts of the research protocol to check for completeness, accuracy, and best practices in human subject research protections.

• Provide your human subjects research training certification to your student to include with the IRB protocol.
• Sign the protocol (either digitally or scanned) before the PI submits it by email.
• Be sure the student includes any written permission from the research site with the IRB protocol, or that the student has made arrangements for permission to be emailed directly to the IRB.

• Ensure the PI does not initiate any aspect of the research (including recruitment) until after receiving written notification of IRB approval.
• Check periodically with the PI to remain informed of the protocol’s status, stages of data collection and analysis, and to ensure the research follows the approved protocol.
• Assist the PI in promptly reporting to the IRB any events that deviate from the approved protocol or unanticipated problems that might pose risks to subjects or others.
• Ensure the PI submits a IRB Modification Request to the IRB for any proposed changes in the research or informed consent process prior to implementation, and make sure no changes will occur until after receiving written approval by the SU IRB (except where necessary to eliminate apparent immediate hazards to participants).
• Be sure the PI submits a Continuing Review and Downgrade to Exempt Request Form if the project will not be concluded before IRB approval expires (to remain in compliance with Federal and SU policies).
• Notify the IRB to formally withdraw the protocol if the PI chooses not to initiate or not to continue the research project at any point.

• Verify appropriate storage of any identifiable data associated with the project as specified in the approved IRB protocol.
• Assist the PI in submitting the required IRB Closeout Report form to formally close the study and end both IRB and faculty adviser oversight of the approved research project.