Protecting Research Participants

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a federally mandated entity that oversees the protection of human subjects in research. At Penn State, an IRB must review all research involving human subjects, and the research cannot begin until the IRB has reached a determination. This is true even if a researcher perceives there are no risks for people who participate in his or her research as it is the role of the IRB to mitigate potential risks to participants, including their physical and psychological well-being, confidentiality and privacy, and autonomy, among others.

The IRB consists of faculty, staff, and community members appointed by the Associate Vice President for Research. The IRB must have at least one member serving on the board who is not employed or affiliated with the University or has an immediate family member employed or affiliated with the University.

News and Announcements

On January 21, 2019, the Revised Common Rule (also called the 2018 Common Rule Requirements) went into effect. Any study that is approved on or after January 21, 2019 (and any study that was submitted prior to January 21 that has not yet received approval as of that date) will be subject to the new requirements unless it is an FDA regulated or funded by the Department of Justice or the Department of the Interior.

Getting Started

Learn if an IRB submission is required for your study and answer your questions about preparing submissions, required training, and the CATS IRB by reviewing our guides, videos, and training opportunities found under Training and Resources. The IRB 5 Basic Steps are a good starting point for a quick overview of the IRB submission process.

IRB Analysts

IRB Analysts are staff who help investigators prepare a submission for approval. At University Park, analysts are assigned based on the first initial of the PI’s last name. Please contact the appropriate IRB Analyst with questions, even if a protocol has not yet been submitted.

Submissions from researchers primarily affiliated with Penn State Health or the Penn State College of Medicine will be assigned to the Human Subjects Protection Office (HSPO) program staff.

Future Participants

Find research studies accepting volunteers through Penn State’s StudyFinder website.

About Research Participation
Becoming A Research Volunteer: It’s Your Decision (PDF Brochure)
Should I Take Part in a Research Study? (PDF Brochure)

Penn State IRBs

Penn State has one IRB program and two IRB offices. The Office for Research Protections supports researchers at University Park and all other Penn State campus locations, except the College of Medicine. The Human Subjects Protection Office (HSPO) provides support for researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health.

Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) and IRB Registration

Penn State has an approved FWA with the Department of Health & Human Services. This Assurance is for University Park and all campus locations with the exception of the College of Medicine and Penn State Health, which has different FWA numbers for their respective IRBs.

University Park: FWA00001534
The expiration date for this assurance changes frequently. If you need the expiration date, please visit http://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/search/asurfnd.asp, enter the FWA Number above, and click “Search.”

The PSU IRB is registered also with the Department of Health & Human Services.