In keeping with the Common Rule and other government and institutional guidelines, the Institute of Brain Education (IBE) is required to ensure that all research involving human participants is conducted ethically and legally.

  
IBE’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for reviewing and approving all research that involves human participants, including studies that use identifiable biospecimens. The IRB is established to ensure that all research participants are treated with respect, dignity, and appropriate safeguards. In addition, compliance with federal regulations requires that any federally funded research involving human participants receive IRB approval prior to initiation. The IRB does not grant approval retroactively for research that has already been completed.
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The IRB oversees a broad range of research activities. This includes not only formal research studies, but also classroom-based projects and community-based research. Materials such as written journals, photographs, video recordings, and audio recordings that involve human participants are also subject to review.

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​First, determine whether your project requires IRB Review.

Answer the questions:

 

1. Is your project conducting Research?
   
   Research is the systematic, diligent investigation into a subject to discover facts, revise theories, or create new knowledge. It involves gathering data, documenting critical information, and analyzing findings to understand topics deeper, covering fields like science, humanities, and business.
    

   • YES – Continue to the next question

   • NO – You do not need to go further and can continue with your project
      

2. Does your project involve human participants or identifiable biospecimens?
   
   Human participants in research are living individuals about whom investigators obtain data through interaction, intervention, or identifiable private information.
   
   Biospecimens are human-derived samples, such as blood, tissue, plasma, or cells, crucial for medical research, drug discovery, and precision medicine. Collected, stored, and annotated in biorepositories, these samples enable scientists to study disease mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and develop new diagnostics and therapies in fields like oncology and infectious diseases.
    

   • YES – Continue to the next step in the IRB application process (Determine IRB Review Category)

   • NO – You do not need to go further and can continue with your project