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Seton Hall University

Authority of the IRB

Seton Hall University's Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research [IRB] has been established in accordance with Federal Regulations. This IRB reviews all proposed research involving human subjects in order to ensure that subjects' rights and welfare are adequately protected.

The University's IRB Office is administered and empowered through the Office of the Provost. The IRB is comprised primarily of faculty members from disciplines that conduct research involving human subjects (i.e., nursing, allied health fields, education, psychology, sociology, etc.). Community representatives who have no formal ties to the University also sit on the IRB. The Board's membership, policies and procedures are governed by an Assurance Agreement filed with the United States government. Office for Human Research Protections website »

When openings on the Board occur, the Provost will notify the university community via broadcast e-mail of the opportunity to apply by self-nomination. Procedures for self-nomination will be outlined in the e-mail. In accord with federal regulations, appointment to membership on the IRB is by the Provost only. 

Under Seton Hall University's Assurance Agreement filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, all generalizable research activities involving human subjects, whether federally funded, privately-funded or non-funded, including dissertations, master's theses, pilot studies, class projects, and non-funded faculty-directed research, must be reviewed and approved by the University's IRB prior to conducting the research, if the proposed research meets any of the following conditions: 

  • the research is sponsored by the University, or 
  • the research is conducted by or under the direction of any University employee, or agent (e.g., faculty member, researcher, or student) in connection with his/her other institutional responsibilities, or 
  • the research is conducted by or under the direction of any University employee or agent (e.g., faculty member, researcher, or student) using any University property or facility, or 
  • the research involves the use of the University's non-public information to identify or contact human research subjects or prospective subjects, or  
  • the research involves the use of the University's students, employees, or facilities.