Human subjects research studies will not be approved by Teachers College Institutional Review Board (TC IRB) unless the researcher and research staff make satisfactory arrangements to meet the following requirements. TC IRB has provided guidance to support researchers in meeting each of the requirements.
Carry out the research design and duties of the project safely for all individuals involved including, but not limited to, the research staff and study participants.
- TC IRB has partnered with the Research Safety and Compliance Committee to develop training modules that prepare researchers for in-person research during times of uncertainty.
Describe additional protections needed for participants, especially vulnerable populations.
- Minors and the cognitively impaired are classified by the federal government as vulnerable populations. Researchers can find information on obtaining assent from minors and parent permissions under TC IRB’s web guides.
- TC IRB has also created templates for Assent and Parent Permission forms
Determine appropriate procedures for recruiting research participants and obtaining informed consent.
- Researchers can determine appropriate language and methods for recruiting participants with TC IRB’s Notes on Recruitment Materials guide.
- TC IRB provides researchers with guidance on the consenting process:
- Be Informed about Consenting
- Prepare, Present & Polish the Informed Consent Form
Ensure that participant welfare is of central concern to the researcher.
- As part of their ethical duty to participants, all researchers are required to properly identify, minimize, and disclose any potential harm or discomforts that may come to participants. TC IRB has outlined potential risks for human subjects research.
Treat participants with respect and dignity throughout the study.
- Consent is a process, not a form. Researchers should strive to make consent an ongoing process with each participant.
- The assent process is an ongoing, respectful, and interactive conversation between the researcher and the participant. Assent in Research may look different from consent and requires the researcher to regularly observe and evaluate the participant for their ability to continue participating.
Prepare for additional issues that may occur at the data site, whether on or off-campus, domestically or internationally
- On-Campus Research:
- Prepare to return to campus by following the three-step process outlined by the Research Compliance and Safety Committee
- Researchers can Protect Participants with a Clean Research Lab
- Off-Campus Research:
- International researchers should follow the International Research Guide provided on TC IRB’s website
Remain appropriately trained and well-qualified to conduct research with human subjects and to perform all study procedures.
- All researchers and faculty sponsors submitting an IRB protocol must have an updated human subjects protection training certificate on Mentor IRB (awarded within the last three years). Please visit our Training & Certification page for information on how to update CITI certification.
Set clear safety and hygiene guidelines at the study site.
- TC IRB has provided researchers with an updated Site Permission COVID-19 Template that outlines risks and guidelines related to the new COVID-19 regulations.