Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Mission and Vision
Our volunteer service committee actively seeks to provide ethical guidance to our University's scientific community in order to help affiliated investigators engage in work that, above all else, (1) honors the rights and dignity of every human participant, and, (2) complies with federal regulations. In keeping with the larger mission of St. Edward's University -- which emphasizes educational opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff -- the Institutional Review Board (IRB) endeavors to proactively educate our research community through classroom and Institutional training initiatives that emphasize a high standard of respect for participants in the Human Subjects Research discipline. We seek to communicate consistently with investigators in order that these important ethical standards should remain exemplified throughout each scientific endeavor.
Our Charge
The St. Edward's University Institutional Review Board (IRB) serves to protect the rights and dignity of participants in Human Subjects Research that is undertaken by (or with) members of the St. Edward's University community. The St. Edward's IRB is responsible for ensuring that University-affiliated research is compliant with the human subjects laws of the State of Texas as well as the federal guidelines that are defined -- in conjunction -- 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)] .
The St. Edward's University IRB recognizes that Human Subjects Research constitutes a broad range of activities, and thus the committee’s interpretation of State and federal guidelines may require some dialogue (within reason) to enforce these guidelines over the commonly accepted practices of distinct disciplines.
It should be noted that the St. Edward's University IRB is not responsible for enforcing professional standards beyond those concerning "the protection of Human Subjects". While some research activities may raise questions beyond this purview [for example, questions pertaining to the quality of the research methodology or the topic's accordance with the University mission], it should be noted that the IRB is charged specifically with determining the foreseeable risks and benefits posed to human participants taking part in University-affiliated research. The Institutional Review Board recognizes the limitations of this charge, yet we wish to remind all University-affiliated researchers that the scientific discipline as a whole is subject to the same standards of excellence that accompany any professional endeavor and, thus, all affiliates are expected to maintain excellence in conduct throughout their scientific investigations, even in those areas that extend beyond the purview of the IRB.
Our volunteer members are dedicated contributors to the scientific community at St. Edward's University. If you have any research-oriented questions that extend beyond the protection of human participants, then you are welcome to approach individual members of the IRB for their opinions as professional colleagues. Keep in mind that, in those cases, a board member's council should not be considered a reflection of the IRB's consensus as a whole.
As is the case with almost every college and university, St. Edward's University has agreed to the OHRP Federalwide Assurance (FWA) dictating that human subjects research will adhere to the Department of Health and Human Services Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title 45 part 46. 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)).
Committee Members
You are welcome to contact members of the Institutional Review Board with questions about your proposal submission.
Non-exempt human research proposals should be submitted through the SEU IRB Portal. All other requests may be sent to IRB@stedwards.edu.
IRB Administrative Team
Laurie Cook Heffron, PhD, LMSW
IRB Chair
lheffron@stedwards.edu
Shelbee Nguyen, PhD
IRB Vice Chair
snguye12@stedwards.edu
Jasmin Blue
IRB Administrator
IRB@stedwards.edu
512-637-5676
Holy Cross Hall 108: Office of Sponsored Programs
IRB Members
Shelbee Nguyen, Vice Chair |
David Carrington, MAC Program |
Amy Concilio, Environmental Science and Policy in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
Amr Swid, Assistant Professor Management, The Bill Munday School of Business |
Michelle Burd, External Member |
Drew Loewe, Writing & Rhetoric, School of Arts and Humanities |
Gloria White, Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs |
Paul Walter, Assoc Professor of Physics in the School of Natural Sciences |
Carsten Andresen, Criminal Justice in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
Casey Sherman, Mathematics in the School of Natural Sciences |
Molly Minus, Director of McNair Scholar Program & Professor of Education |
Monica Hernandez, Marketing, Operations, and Analytics, The Bill Munday School of Business |
Laurie Cook-Heffron, Chair of SEU IRB Director of Social Work
|
Billy Earnest, Communication in the School of Arts and Humanities |
Parent Institution/Organization: IORG0008223 (expires 07/26/2020)
IRB00009859 - St. Edward's University IRB #1 - IRB Committee
Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) - #346307 expires 7/31/2020
External Links
These additional online resources are associated with human subjects research.
Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) - The OSP assists with external research grants, endowments, and other funding sources. IRB approval may be required for certain funding opportunities.
The following links will take you outside of St. Edward's University's website.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)
U.S. regulations for research
"Common Rule" Office for Human Research Protections (45 CFR 46) - This U.S. Government Code of Federal Regulations document consists of protocols that govern the behavior and procedures of all U.S.-affiliated IRBs.
APA Guidelines
Professional guidelines for research in psychology
FDA Guidance
U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidance for Institutional Review Boards
e-Source (Provided by the NIH and OBSSR)
Behavioral and social science researchers may benefit from a quick review of this impressive resource. A team of international experts created twenty interactive chapters that collectively describe methodological "best practices" for behavioral researchers.