All researchers involved in a study, even if they will not directly work with human subjects, must participate in ethics training regarding the use of human subjects. In the past, the Centre College IRB has relied upon the training module hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). On October 4, 2018, we made the switch to more comprehensive training program, hosted by the private corporation, CITI.  To access the CITI training program:

1. Go to https://about.citiprogram.org/en/homepage/ and click on the ‘Register’ button at the top. 
2. Enter the organization name as ‘Centre College’ and agree to terms of service.
3. Enter the information requested for registration in the next six pages (name, address, email, etc.).
4. In the final step you associate with one of three cohorts to determine your primary course and elective offerings: faculty, student, or IRB members.

Screenshots of the registration process are located in the following document: Directions for student registration for CITI course on Human Subject Research training

The registration process takes a few minutes. 

Centre’s online IRB application cannot be submitted without the researcher’s IRB training certification number. If you experience any problem accessing the CITI training module, please contact Dr. Katherine Andrews (IRB Chair) for help.  

Start your application here.

Centre’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) accepts online applications via a Qualtrics survey. A preview of the survey questions is available for review. The survey will ask researchers to describe their project, methodology, research population, the possible risks and benefits of the study, and other details of the study. Researchers must also be prepared to upload an informed consent document, research instruments, and other materials relevant to the research.
 
While the application survey contains many definitions and examples, researchers are encouraged to refer to Centre College’s Policy on the Protection of Human Subjects for additional information. The IRB Committee, Forms, and Links page also has sample consent forms that can be used as templates. Researchers may also contact the IRB chair with any questions.

Professors teaching a research methods class, independent study seminar, or other research-heavy course are strongly encouraged to contact the chair of the IRB before the beginning of the term.  All students involved in class projects of this type must complete the CITI training course on Human Subjects Research.  Depending on the level of risk associated with your students’ studies, they will need to complete either the short or long application in Qualtrics. The key to a successful and efficient IRB experience is for the student to have written a cohesive research protocol prior to submitting to Qualtrics, using the sample IRB application, including the data handling plan.  Once the application has been submitted, students should monitor email for follow-up requests by reviewers.  No research may move forward until it has been assessed or formally reviewed by the IRB.

The IRB requires a complete application and relevant supporting documents no later than thirty (30) days prior to the intended start date of the research. An IRB committee member will be assigned to guide the researcher through any necessary revisions. Depending on the level of risk and the extent of revisions needed, the IRB could take less or more than 30 days to issue decision documents.