The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research is the first point of contact regarding human subjects research at (or involving) Towson University faculty, staff or students.
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research is the first point of contact regarding human subjects research at (or involving) Towson University faculty, staff or students.
To minimize risk to human subjects, principal investigators are encouraged to conduct research remotely whenever possible. When conducting in-person research, principal investigators are expected to adhere to University, State, and Federal guidelines including relevant CDC guidance that are in place at the time the research is occurring.
Investigators should ensure that consent documents inform participants of risks that may be associated with engaging in human subjects research. The language below would be a suitable statement:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a risk of infection. Protocols are in place
that minimize risk, including pre-screening and cleaning. Although being fully vaccinated
may reduce this risk, we cannot guarantee that all participants or staff have been
vaccinated. As such, we recommend that you continue to take appropriate precautions
such as wearing a mask throughout the duration of the study.
You may also visit the Office of the Provost or Health & Safety Protocols for information on the Return to Research phases.
The COVID-19: Back to Campus and COVID-19: Insights for Higher Ed Leaders CITI Training courses are still available if you would like additional training for managing the risks associated with COVID-19 as we return to campus. Log in with your TU NetID and password.
To ensure that data collection remains anonymous for anonymous studies, be sure to set up the survey so that it does not collect IP addresses. In addition, please add the following required language into the confidentiality section of the consent form (and fill in the appropriate information where indicated):
The data are being collected via the online platform <specify>. To address any concerns
you may have about the confidentiality of data collected in this manner, please see
<specify the company’s> Data Privacy Policy at <include the URL here>. You should
specifically look at the section entitled, <direct participants to the relevant section
of the data privacy policy>. Please note that although we, the researchers, will not
be collecting information that could identify you, only you can fully guarantee the
security of the data you provide. You are encouraged to take the survey in a private
location where others are unable to see your responses.
If you have an IRB approved study that you want to move online for data collection, please see additional guidance from the IRB.
The use of human subjects in Towson University faculty, staff or student research requires approval by the appropriate university review committee, the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB is appointed by the Provost, and is comprised of volunteers from TU’s faculty and staff, and at least one member of the community. The IRB is responsible for reviewing research involving human subjects to ensure compliance with all governmental regulations with the use of human subjects. Approval of the IRB must be obtained prior to the involvement of human subjects in research, and for any modifications to the project after IRB approval which would impact the human participants.
Applicable federal regulations are detailed in Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46.
Have questions that may be related to your academic major or discipline? Contact your IRB college representative.