The SOU Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a presidential committee mandated by Federal guidelines for research and by University accrediting bodies. The committee meets on an ad hoc basis as proposals are submitted for review. Please see application and review process to start the steps in the official process.
The mission of the IRB is to:
- Promote the rights and welfare of human research participants
- Facilitate ethical research
- Provide guidance and support to the research community in the conduct of research with human subjects
- Assist the research community in ensuring compliance with the standards set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human Subjects Research
All research activities involving the use of human beings as research subjects (participants) must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Investigators may not solicit subject participation or begin data collection until they have received approval from IRB or written concurrence that research has been determined to be exempt.
What is an IRB and why do we need one?
The federal government established Institutional Review 
Boards (IRB) to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research activities. The IRB ensures that physical, psychological, and social risks to research subjects are minimized, and that the risks associated with the research are commensurate with the importance of the research and/or the knowledge to be gained. The IRB also ensures that research participants receive accurate, complete, and comprehensible information about the nature of the research and any associated risks, as well as their rights as research participants. All investigators and key personnel involved in Human Subject Research or Animal Research (including Faculty Mentors) are required to complete specific research ethic courses using the CITI training program. Detailed information about the required research courses is available here.
For questions about the IRB, educational presentations about Human Subjects Research, submissions or forms, please email or call
Anne Sebanc, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Faculty Scholarship Development and Research Compliance
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
Tel: (541) 552-6447
Institutional Review Board
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: (541) 552-6447