Cleveland State University
Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
2121 Euclid Avenue
Parker Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
Campus Location
Parker Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor
2258 Euclid Avenue
Phone: 216.687.3630
Fax: 216.687.9382
Web Content Contact
Charles Newton
c.w.newton@csuohio.edu
Human Subjects Research at Cleveland State University
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Cleveland State University (CSU) is responsible for ensuring the protection and ethical treatment of human participants in research conducted under the auspices of the University. Accordingly, the IRB must evaluate all such research projects, in compliance with Federal Regulations
The IRB meets the first Wednesday of each month during the Academic Year (October through May). Protocols are also reviewed over the summer months by committee members
IRB Procedures CSU’s IRB receives approximately 300 research protocols a year, each of which must be evaluated for adequate protection of the subjects against research risks. Acceptability of the proposal, and the speed with which the IRB can evaluate it is enhanced if the protocol is concise, deals specifically with the issues discussed in herein, and shows sensitivity to the overriding concerns of ethical treatment of human subjects
Issues of Particular Concern to CSU’s IRB
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Privacy In most research, subjects’ willingness to participate will depend on the researcher’s explanation of the project and its purpose, the subject’s understanding of risks and benefits, and the assurance that the specifics of their participation will not become known to other individuals. A mismatch between an assurance to the subjects and the procedures will lead the IRB to request revisions before approval can be granted. Issues of anonymity and confidentiality are of special concern when subjects might divulge sensitive information, including situations in which their responses might place them in jeopardy (e.g., public embarrassment, threats to job security, self-incrimination).
- Risk In much research, subjects’ participation involves little or no risk. If this is genuinely the case, the terms “minimal risk,” “no foreseeable risk,” “no risks beyond those of daily living,” can be used in the research protocol. If there is some risk, where physical, psychological, social, legal, or otherwise, the IRB will be particularly interested in the safeguards implemented to deal with these risks. The overall importance and soundness of the research project will be especially important if subjects are placed at some degree of risk by participating
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Special Populations Testing minors, pregnant women, prisoners, mentally retarded or disabled persons, or other special populations raises serious issues regarding risk and informed consent, which the research protocol must address. On the other hand, recent federal guidelines mandate the inclusion of women and minorities in research. The nature of the subject population must be clear in the protocol, and a rationale must be provided for including/excluding identifiable subgroups based on gender and minority status