The Human Subjects Review Process

The human subjects review process at the University of Oregon was developed to comply with applicable federal and state regulations. Researchers interested in the history of and regulatory basis for human subjects review should consult these resources. The university has chosen to implement additional human subjects requirements for student researchers in order to fulfill its educational mission.

The human subjects review process is initiated when the researcher submits an application to OPHS. Depending on the type of research being conducted, the project may undergo administrative review within the office, be sent to an IRB member for review, or be referred to an IRB meeting for consideration by the full committee. The researcher may be requested to revise his or her protocol no matter what category of review the project falls into. The entire review and approval process takes 2 to 4 weeks, so researchers should submit their applications at least a month prior to the projected start dates of their projects. If the project requires review by the full IRB, submission deadlines apply. No subject recruitment or data collection may take place until the project has been approved.

The human subjects review process may seem daunting at first, but OPHS has developed informational guides for student and faculty researchers. In addition, each researcher is assigned a Program Analyst who helps guide him or her through the entire process, from protocol submission to final approval.