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Institutional Review Board

The primary mission of the UMass Dartmouth Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to provide a comprehensive and systematic review process designed to protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of individuals who are the subjects of research conducted by university faculty, staff, or students. The UMass Dartmouth IRB is registered with the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) (IRB00000820) and UMass Dartmouth holds a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) which documents the University’s commitment to comply with federal regulations for the protection of human subjects in research (FWA00000180).

UMass Dartmouth IRB subscribes to the ethical standards delineated in the Belmont Report and the Declaration of Helsinki, all applicable federal, state, and local regulations related to the conduct of human subject research, and University policies and procedures. The University also understands the necessity to take into consideration various cultural contexts and to comply with local laws and customs when conducting transnational research.

To achieve this mission, the IRB and Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) strive to:

  1. Ensure Ethical Conduct and Safeguard Participants: Promote and uphold the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice as outlined in the Belmont Report, and protect the rights, safety, and well-being of research participants by thoroughly reviewing and monitoring research protocols.
  2. Foster Compliance and Promote Quality Research: Ensure all research involving human subjects complies with relevant laws, regulations, and institutional policies, and facilitate the conduct of high-quality, ethically sound research that advances knowledge and benefits society.
  3. Educate, Support, and Engage Researchers: Provide education, training, and guidance to researchers on ethical standards and regulatory requirements for human subjects research, and foster open communication and collaboration with the research community, ensuring transparency in IRB processes and decisions.
  4. Commit to Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and enhance IRB practices and procedures to ensure they meet evolving ethical and regulatory standards.

The IRB is dedicated to maintaining a culture of respect, integrity, and accountability, ensuring that all research participants are treated with dignity and respect, and that their rights and welfare are a central focus of the research enterprise at UMass Dartmouth.