Institutional Review Board Mission
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Utah State University (USU) is an institutionally supported committee charged with the ethical review, revision, and approval of research involving human participants, which it must do free of institutional pressures or influence. Federally funded research must be reviewed according to the Common Rule or applicable regulations, and all research involving human participants at USU must be reviewed according to similar standards. USU’s research portfolio aims to create knowledge and improve quality of life for citizens of Utah, the nation, and the world. Members of the Institutional Review Board further the university’s research mission by prospectively reviewing proposed research involving human participants to ensure:
- The protection of human research participants
- Justice, beneficence, and respect for persons in all of Utah State University's research involving human participants
- Promotion of socially valuable, scientifically valid, and ethical research practices, which in turn builds public trust in the research enterprise
- Creation of a culture of ethical concern and prioritization of research participants as a critical component of the institution's pedagogical and land-grant mission
- Compliance with international, indigenous, federal, state, local, and university requirements for conducting research with human participants
The IRB is a critical component of the broader Human Research Protection Program at Utah State University. It works closely with researchers, university staff, participants, and other stakeholders to ensure the safe and ethical conduct of research.