Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects of research conducted on the campus or sponsored by the Institute. Rensselaer subscribes to the basic thical principles that underlie the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects as set forth in the Belmont Report, and in accordance with Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) has the responsibility and authority to review, approve, disapprove, or require changes in research activities involving human subjects. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, and student projects, regardless of whether the project is funded externally, internally, or receives no funding support. Researchers should refer to Rensselaer's Guidelines for Human Subjects Research to determine whether or not their research is indeed human subjects research, and/or if their research satisfies the requirements for expedited review by the IRB.

As federally mandated and required by the Rensselaer IRB, all investigators must complete a self-study course in human subject protection via the CITI Training Program. Each investigator on a research project involving human subjects is required to certify that they have completed the required course(s) before engaging in the research.

IRB Committee Members

• Michael Kalsher, Chair, Associate Professor, Cognitive Science
• Jeffrey Armstrong, Attorney, Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna
  
• Scott Bello, M.D., Physician
• Jonas Braasch, Assistant Professor, Architecture
• Frank J. DiSanto, Director, Research Administration & Finance, Ex-Officio
• Mariana Figueiro, Program Director, Lighting Research Center
• David Hess, Professor, Science & Technology Studies
• Leslie Lawrence, M.D., Medical Director, Student Health Center
• Patrick Madden, Executive Director, TRIP
• Jack Mahoney, Director of Institutional Research
• Wolf von Maltzahn, Institutional Official, Acting Vice President for Research
• William A. Wallace, Professor, Decision Sciences & Engineering Systems
• James Watt, Professor, Language, Literature & Communication

• Thursday, September 4  (submission deadline: Weds., 8/27)
• Thursday, October 9  (submission deadline: Weds., 10/1)
• Thursday, November 6  (submission deadline: Weds., 10/29)
• Thursday, December 4  (submission deadline: Weds., 11/26)
• Thursday, February 5  (submission deadline: Weds., 1/28)
• Thursday, March 5  (submission deadline: Weds., 2/25)
• Thursday, April 9  (submission deadline: Weds., 4/1)
• Thursday, May 7  (submission deadline: Weds., 4/29)

Submission Policy/Guidelines

All researchers who plan to use human subjects in their study must have their research proposal reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The definitive guide for the Protection of Human Subjects is contained in the Code of Federal Regulations.

IRB Proposal Template

Consent Form Templates

• Informed Consent Form – Ethnographic Research (Faculty Researcher)
• Informed Consent Form – Ethnographic Research (Student Researcher)

Researchers should submit proposals via email to IRB@rpi.edu. Alternately, hard copies may be forwarded to the IRB at the following address:

Institutional Review Board
Attn: Joelle Willis
Office of Research
CII 7015
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180

Fax: 518.276.4002

Proposals must be submitted by the date indicated for each month’s review cycle.

Have questions or need assistance in completing your proposal? Contact the IRB at IRB@rpi.edu.