The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a St. Edward's University ethics committee comprised of several faculty members, one administrative support person, and one member outside of SEU. The IRB's goal is to provide required, ethical oversight for all research projects involving living, human subjects.
The IRB supports the SEU scientific community by reviewing individual research proposals so that they (1) comply with federal regulations and (2) ensure the basic rights and dignities of every human participant. A key tenet of the IRB mission is to ensure "respect for persons" during research studies, as outlined in The Belmont Report.
For each research proposal, the IRB endeavors to provide a timely review that evaluates the risks to subjects. Considerations include the sensitivity of information being collected and the level of discomfort or distress participants might experience during the course of the study. The IRB then works with the Principal Investigator to minimize the risks and achieve IRB approval.
The IRB's additional goal is to educate the SEU community about the review process and broader ethical considerations. This is achieved with researchers through one-on-one communications, educational materials, classroom training, and faculty workshops at the SEU Teaching Symposium.
Note: Submissions received during finals week or before holiday breaks
could further delay the approval process.
The St. Edward's University IRB is not responsible for enforcing professional standards beyond those concerning the protections of living, human subjects. For example, the IRB does not evaluate the quality of the research methodology or the topic's compliance with the University mission. The IRB is only concerned with the foreseeable risks and benefits for participants in University-affiliated research projects.
All scientific disciplines are subject to the same standards of excellence. Therefore, St. Edward's University researchers are expected to maintain professional conduct and adhere to these standards throughout their scientific investigations, even in areas beyond the purview of the IRB.
The St. Edward's University IRB is required to ensure that University-affiliated research complies with the current laws of the State of Texas, as well as federal guidelines as defined by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) (45 CFR 46) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (21 CFR 50), both divisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
According to these guidelines, "Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge” (45 CFR 46.102(d)). Likewise, "A human subject is a living individual about whom an investigator (professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information" (45 CFR 46.102(f)).
Parent Institution/Organization: IORG0008223 (expires 02/11/2025)
IRB Registration #00009859 - St. Edward's University IRB / IRB Committee
Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) #00027924 (expires 9/15/2025)
St. Edward's University uses the Smartsheet Management System for secure, IRB research proposal submissions.