Our Mission:   The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Fordham University works cooperatively with researchers in the Fordham community to assure that standards are met for the conduct of research with human subjects.  We work with investigators to modify projects so that adequate protection is ensured for its subjects' welfare and right of self-determination.

What We Review:   All research conducted by members of the Fordham community involving human subjects is subject to review and approval by the IRB.  All external research which hopes to use the Fordham body for the recruitment of subjects is also subject to IRB review and approval.  These statements remain true whether you are a member of Fordham's faculty, staff, or student body, and regardless of where the research is conducted, or of any funding that may be involved.

Why We Review:   The IRB reviews research projects which involve human subjects to ensure that two broad standards are upheld: 
(1) that subjects are not placed at undue risk;
(2) that subjects provide uncoerced, informed consent to participate.  
These principles are helpful to investigators as well, in that they also protect the validity of the researcher's findings.

When to Submit:   A project is first reviewed in its proposal stage - before subjects are recruited.  Click here to go to the relevant forms.

Other Information:   This website provides information about the IRB process and its requirements for preparing and submitting a protocol for review by the IRB.  You may use the links to the left to help navigate through this site, or the hyperlinks featured throughout.

If you have any comments or questions for us, you may email us at IRB@fordham.edu, or simply click here.

At the IRB, we are guided by the principles outlined in The Belmont Report of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. 

FWA Number: FWA00000067
Approved for use through 3/4/2012

IORG Number: IORG0000353
Approved for use through 8/3/2012

All those who submit a research project to the IRB should be familiar with The Belmont Report for the ethical treatment of human subjects, Fordham's Guidelines and Procedures for the conduct of research with human subjects, and those federal regulations promulgated by the Office of Human Subjects Research  (Title 45 CFR Part 46).