Institutional Review Board: The University of Baltimore has established the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in compliance with federal regulations governing research involving human subjects funded by the US government. All research involving human subjects conducted by faculty, staff or students at the University must comply with the federal regulations set forth in 45 CFR 46.
The primary purpose of the IRB is to assure the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects, that is, those who volunteer to participate in any kind of research study or survey conducted by UB investigators. This includes the protection of private and/or confidential information, which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public without their consent. Special considerations and additional protections are considered when the research involves vulnerable populations, such as prisoners, children, pregnant women, human fetuses and the cognitively impaired.
Current Members (Academic Year 2012-2013):
- Eric Easton, JD, PhD. Professor, School of Law (Chair)
- Ann Cotten, DPA, CPA, Director, Schaefer Center for Public Policy
- Christine S. Spencer, ScD, Associate Professor, School of Health and Human Services
- Richard Trotter, JD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management and Marketing
- Jennifer Mange, Institutional Grants Manager, Department of Institutional Advancement, Enoch Pratt Free Library (External Member)
- Kathryn Summers, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies (Alternate Member)
- Benjamin S. Wright, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Criminal Justice (Alternate Member)
- Marc P. Lennon, Assistant Director, Office of Sponsored Research (Non-voting - Coordinator & Secretary)
IRB Timelines: Investigators (faculty, staff, librarians and students) should allow ample time for review of their IRB applications before commencing work on a research project. The timelines below are provided as an estimate only. The Board meets as frequently as necessary to allow for thorough and timely review of protocols and research projects.
- Renewals, Modifications, Exempt Protocols – 2 weeks
- Expedited Review – 3 weeks
- Full IRB Review – 5 weeks
IRB Documents: Investigators should ensure that a copy of the survey instrument or research protocol is included with their application in order for it to be considered for IRB review and approval.
IRB Application and Exempt Checklist -- required for ALL IRB requests
Suggested Consent Form Template
Training: Through a partnership with the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), UB staff, faculty and students can now access on-line training for human subjects research in social science and responsible conduct of research (RCR), among others at no cost to you. Training modules can be accessed through the nationally recognized CITI Program at https://www.citiprogram.org/. When you register as a user, select UMBC as your institution. Upon completion of any of the training modules, you will receive a certificate that you can print or save as pdf. Those working on research projects submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval are encouraged to complete the human subjects research module and submit their certificate along with their application. Those working on NSF-funded research will be required to provide evidence of RCR training before employment contracts are processed by HR. For questions about on-line research training, please contact Marc P. Lennon, Assistant Director, Office of Sponsored Research at ext. 6199 or mlennon@ubalt.edu.
Responsible Conduct in Human Subjects Research
Responsible Conduct of Research Training and Oversight Plan
Submission: IRB applications and any relevant supporting documentation (consent form, survey instrument, training certificate, etc.) should be submitted to:
Marc P. Lennon
Assistant Director, Office of Sponsored Research
University of Baltimore
Office of the Provost
1420 N. Charles Street, LAP 115
Baltimore, MD 21201
mlennon@ubalt.edu
A hard copy with original signatures is required. In order to ensure a timely review, please also submit an electronic copy via email.