Welcome

The UNC Asheville IRB is an ethics committee that is tasked with reviewing, approving, and monitoring research and classroom activities that involve the use of human subjects (for animal subjects, contact the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee). 

Our primary goal is to protect the rights and welfare of individuals who participate as subjects in academic research or in classroom-based student projects. 

UNC Asheville must meet federal regulations from the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services that pertain to activities involving human subjects. These are based on Part 46 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition, UNC Asheville has a university mandate to assure that the welfare and rights of students who are involved in classroom research projects are safeguarded.  The purpose of this site is to enhance your communication between the Board and the campus community, while facilitating access to regulations, policies, procedures, and forms related to human subject research. 

CITI Research Ethics Training

Completion of CITI Training is required for all Principal Investigators. IRB proposals that are submitted by principal investigators who are not CITI certified will not be reviewed. Student researchers are not yet required to complete CITI Training. However, Principal Investigators who are mentoring student researchers may find it helpful for students to complete the CITI Student Modules for instructional purposes. 

General Procedure for Submitting a Classroom-based Protocol

Classroom instructors often have students conduct research projects with human subjects to fulfill course requirements. Such research occasionally entails certain risks to the subjects, and the IRB has developed guidelines to protect the welfare and rights of human subjects that participate in classroom-based research projects.  Please see the 'Human Subject Activities' side bar that provides the application form as well as details about requirements for submitting a classroom-based proposal.

General Procedure for Submitting a Research Proposal

Only UNC Asheville tenured/tenure-track faculty may serve as a Principal Investigator (others may do so with permission). The Principal Investigator is directly responsible for projects involving human subjects, including any collaborations with student researchers. Details about the preparation and submission of research proposals to IRB can be found under the 'Human Subjects Activities' side bar.