Institutional Review Board

  Institutional Review Board (IRB)   

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” - Mark 12:31
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” - Matthew 7:12

What is the IRB?

The IRB is a committee that exists to protect the rights and welfare of human participants in research studies.  The Liberty IRB consists of faculty members from various departments, as well as one member from outside the university, who review research proposals with the express purpose of ensuring the privacy, anonymity, and, above all, safety of research volunteers. 

What does the IRB do?

The IRB is charged with assuring the protection of the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research. Human subjects research is regulated by the federal government through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Human Research Protections. The IRB is required to review all research involving human participants prior to the conducting of any research.

What does the IRB have to do with me?

Any undertaking in which a University faculty member, staff member, or student investigates or collects information on living humans for research may be considered as “involving human participants.” This activity includes surveys, interviews, observations, and the use of archived data. Before beginning a project, it is the responsibility of each investigator to seek review by the IRB for any study involving human participants.