Institutional Review Board

Monroe Community College’s (MCC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews human subject research proposals to ensure that:

• the rights and welfare of human subjects used in research studies by College personnel, students, or external researchers are protected;
• that risks have been considered and minimized;
• that the potential for benefit has been identified and maximized;
• that all human subjects only volunteer to participate in research after being provided with legally sound, informed consent (when necessary);
• that any research is conducted in an ethical manner and in compliance with established standards. 

Any faculty, staff, student or external person who wishes to conduct research under the auspices of MCC or on the grounds of the College must have prior IRB approval.

The IRB's purpose is to evaluate the project to ensure compliance within ethical standards related to informed consent, confidentiality of data collected and disseminated, and potential risk to participants. The role of the IRB is not to determine the reliability of the proposed research, the merits of the research nor the possible contribution of the research to scholarship. The IRB views its role as primarily educational and facilitating, and encourages consultation at all stages of the research process. The types of projects typically engaged in at MCC are exempt or expedited. The Board strives to be as flexible as possible and reviews each project separately. 

Research conducted for course evaluation, institutional research, or ongoing college processes generally does not need to be reviewed. However, if research results will be disseminated in publications or external presentations, the research must receive prior approval. If no dissemination is planned at the time of data collection but the possibility of future dissemination exists, the researcher should submit the project for IRB approval before beginning research.

To submit a proposal for IRB review, please complete the IRB Application Form and submit all forms and attachments to the Grants office. MCC's IRB chair will perform the initial assessment of the application to determine the category of your project: Exempt or Expedited, both of which are minimal risk and can be approved by the chairperson or if greater than minimal risk and must undergo full board review. Contact Carolyn Hunt, Director, Grants (chunt014@monroecc.edu) or the IRB chair, William Dixon (wdixon5@monroecc.edu) with questions about the process.