Any faculty member who will have in their courses a research project involving human subjects should consult with the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (OSPR) about the appropriate mechanism for approval of such research.
In cases where similar minimal-risk human subjects research projects will be conducted by multiple students as part of a class, approval may sometimes be obtained by submitting a single Course Approval Application for all projects conducted in that class. These applications must be submitted via the Mentor IRB website. Once approval is obtained in this manner, it is the responsibility of the faculty member to ensure that all research projects are implemented following the methods outlined in the course approval.
Course Approval Applications are only suitable in cases where all students will be conducting similar minimal-risk research projects in the class. If the research projects will use fundamentally different methods or involve non-minimal risks, then the students must submit separate protocol applications for each project.
Course Approval Applications are submitted in the same way as other applications within the Mentor IRB website. One of the initial questions in the main protocol application will ask whether the application is for a Course Approval. You will then be prompted to answer questions applicable to the project type, together with additional questions on the class.
Course approvals may require different levels of review by the IRB, depending on the type of research proposed. In some cases, multiple rounds of revision may be required before approval is granted. When submitting course approval forms, please be sure to leave sufficient time for IRB approval before the course begins.
If you have any questions about the process for submitting and reviewing Course Approvals. Please contact humansubjects@clarku.edu.
