The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required by federal law to review and approve ALL research proposals that involve human subjects; that is, any research involving people including adults, children and infants. Special protections are accorded to children, minorities of color and prisoners.

This includes all research conducted at UNC Pembroke or by UNC Pembroke faculty, staff and or students at any location including research conducted as part of classroom exercises or course requirements. That includes:

• Survey research for a course or thesis
• Educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, or achievement)
• Research on individual or group characteristics or behavior (including research on perception, cognition, motivation, identity, language, communication, cultural beliefs, and behavior)
• Research employing survey, interview, oral history, focus group, program evaluation, human factors evaluation or quality assurance methodologies)
• Collection of data made from voice, video, digital or image recordings made for research purposes
• Collection or study of existing personal documents, records, pathological or diagnostic specimens
• Research and demonstration projects designed to study or evaluate public benefit programs
• Test and food quality evaluation studies

If you plan to undertake research in any of these areas you must submit an IRB Coversheet and IRB Protocol found under the Forms and Guidelines link. Please email these forms to IRB@uncp.edu. Send one signed hard copy to the IRB chair. You will be notified within 72 hours about the need for further review.

This website provide information about IRB policies, procedures, appeals and training opportunities.

If you are not sure about whether your project requires an IRB, please contact the IRB chair, John Raacke at 910.521.6269.