Faculty Advisor Responsibilities

All students serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) on a research study must be supervised by a member of the Fordham Faculty. Faculty Advisors play a critical role in ensuring that the students’ research encompasses all ethical, administrative, fiscal, and applied requirements. Specific Faculty Advisor responsibilities are outlined below.

Responsibilities Before IRB Submission

  • The Faculty Advisor (FA) must have a current completion certificate from CITI Human Subjects Research training and understand the ethical standards and regulatory requirements governing research activities with human participants. For further details on CITI training click the following link: How to Register for and Complete the CITI Human Subjects Research Training.
  • Collaborate with student PIs during the preparation of the IRB proposal to ensure the proposed research complies with the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report, federal human subject research regulations including The Common Rule (45 CFR 46), internal Fordham policies, and other applicable federal or state laws.
  • Ensure the student PI has completed their CITI training, and has sufficient training and experience to conduct the research in accord with the protocol, including, but not limited to, any cultural sensitivities, cultural norms, and/ or dialect spoken.
  • If the student is conducting international research both the Faculty Advisor and the student PI are responsible for becoming familiar with international research standards in the appropriate country, if those standards are available. Please see the International Compilation of Human Research Standards as well as the Fordham IRB Guidelines on International Research.
  • If the student will be submitting to the NYC Department of Education, both the Faculty Advisor and the student PI should have working knowledge of the NYC DOE’s Institutional Review Board requirements.
  • Acknowledge and accept their responsibility for protecting the rights and welfare of human research participants.
  • Ensure accuracy and completeness of the IRB Submission; for further details read the IRB Submission Tips document.
  • If any external approvals are required the FA must ensure the student obtains them prior to submitting their protocol to the IRB.
  • To indicate approval of the student’s research protocol the FA must designate this by accepting it on the student’s protocol submission page in the Mentor app; if the FA has concerns about the protocol they should reach out to the IRB office directly at [email protected]

NOTE: It is the specific responsibility of the Faculty Advisor to ensure that BEFORE human subjects are involved ALL research activities have received IRB approval, any other external approvals if appropriate, and other approvals required by Fordham.

Responsibilities After IRB Approval

The IRB holds the Faculty Advisor responsible for the overall management of an approved research protocol in conjunction with the student PI. The Faculty Advisor is considered the responsible party for assisting the PI in making ethical decisions throughout the life of the project.

During the Duration of the Study

  • Make adequate time to consult with the student PI on a regular basis to monitor research progress and monitor the research activity to ensure the protocol approved by the Fordham IRB is followed.
  • Supervise the researcher in problem solving (and assist when needed) in the event a problem, emergent question or concern surfaces.
  • Ensure all research activities are conducted in compliance with Fordham policies (including IRB policy), federal regulations including the Common Rule (45 CFR 46) and other applicable federal or state laws.
  • Ensure the confidentiality and security of all information obtained from and about human subjects, maintaining the privacy of participants.
  • Ensure student PIs promptly report any adverse events, protocol deviations, or other unanticipated problems to the Fordham IRB, as well as to participants or other appropriate stakeholders.

 After Completion of the Study

  • Ensure a Study Closure Report is submitted to the IRB upon completion of the research.
  • In the event that the PI is unable or unwilling to do so, the responsible Faculty Advisor will be required to do so prior to when the PI graduates or otherwise leaves Fordham.