Institutional Review Board

All research involving human subjects performed by William Woods University faculty, staff, and students must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board.

Step 1: Understand Federal Regulations Regarding Research and Protection of Human Subjects

Please review the information available on the following links:

Step 2: Complete the CITI Training

All researchers must complete a series of modules designed to train and test knowledge of protection of human subjects. Researchers will be required to provide evidence they have completed this training to the Institutional Review Board as part of their research application. Access to this training is free to William Woods University faculty, staff, and students.

This training might be waived in some cases. For additional information, please contact your faculty/research supervisor, thesis committee chairperson, dissertation committee chairperson, or the IRB chairperson.

Students working with minor children or other participants that may require additional protections must complete the associated training modules.

Registration Instructions for CITI Training

Step 3: Prepare the Informed Consent Document(s)

Researchers must ensure informed consent is obtained from all participants, and informed consent procedures meet the following requirements prior to submitting a completed IRB application to the committee.

Informed Consent Checklist (Federal Department of Health and Human Services)

Step 4: Complete and Submit the IRB Application

IRB Form (2022 Version)

Here is a link to the University's IRB Form (2022). This version of the application needs to be used; previous versions contain outdated information.

Submission of Forms

Completed IRB applications are submitted by the project's principal investigator (faculty member) to the IRB chair via email. No research activities can be conducted until the researcher has received approval for their study. Microsoft Word or a compatible program is needed to complete the form.

Please email the completed application, along with samples of the proposed informed consent form and any other supporting documents (e.g. surveys, interview questions) to:

Dr. Tom Frankman, Ed.D.
Chair, Institutional Review Board
Associate Professor, School of Education
Parkade Center
Columbia, MO 65203
tom.frankman@williamwoods.edu

Step 5: Report Changes

If there are changes to your proposal or application after it has been approved, you need to notify the IRB. Please report all changes via email to the IRB chair. You must receive written IRB approval before implementing any change(s) in your approved proposal or research activities.

IRB Review Process and Meetings

During the review, IRB seeks to ensure that the proposed research is consistent with ethical and best practices in human subject research. IRB members review applications proposing research not involving protected populations (as identified in subparts A through D of 45 C.F.R. 46) throughout the year apart from board meetings. Principal researchers typically receive a response approximately 10 business days after an IRB application is submitted. Many applications are reviewed and processed outside of called board meetings.

Scheduled IRB meeting dates during the Spring 2025 semester are January 23, February 13 and 27, March 27, and April 10.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Dr. Tom Frankman, IRB chairperson.