Submitting a Project

This website is designed for you to submit your IRB materials online.
Submitting a Project for Review

If you have determined that your project constitutes human subjects research, and therefore
needs to be reviewed by the IRB, the next step is to provide the IRB with information about your
study. Please follow the steps listed below to submit a proposal. 
Submissions to the IRB must include all of the following:
1. Cover sheet including the name of the project, researcher’s name and e-mail address, and
advisor’s name and e-mail address (if applicable).
2. Summary of the project in no more than 150 words.
3. Detailed description of procedure.
4. Reasonably complete sample of the test items, if applicable.
5. Consent form and script for obtaining informed consent. (Consent form templates are
available on our Policies, Forms, Templates, and Samples page.)
6. If applicable, script for debriefing research participants. (Debriefing is required where
there is either deception or incomplete disclosure of the purpose of the study. If these do
not apply, debriefing is nevertheless encouraged for the learning opportunity a debriefing
provides participants.)
7. Valid CITI Training Certificate for all researchers involved in the project.
Please send an e-mail that includes all of the above as attachments to [email protected].
Researchers will receive feedback from the IRB within one week of the next scheduled meeting
(see Meeting schedule). Note: many projects that are submitted for review are determined by the
IRB to represent either exempt or expedited research. In these cases, turn around time will be
within 2 weeks of the original submission. If you have additional questions about different types
of review, please see our “Types of Review”. However, please note that the different types of
review do not impact what you submit to the IRB.
Submit your Proposal
Instructions
What Do I Have to Do?
This is the SHORT SUMMARY of what you need to do to have your project approved by the IRB.
 
Step 1: Determine if your project falls under the definition of “regulated research,” and, if so, what type of review it requires (i.e., Full Review; Expedited; Exempt). To do so, visit FAQs. Proceed to the next steps only if your project requires IRB approval. If it does not fall under the definition of “regulated research,” then IRB approval is not required.
 
Step 2: Complete the online CITI training for the Ethical Treatment of Human Research Participants by clicking the Training and Certification tab on the top menu bar. This training is required for IRB approval and proof of completion must be submitted with your original application and by the submission deadline for the period which you plan to have your proposal reviewed. Be sure to save an electronic copy of your certificate or print out two copies of the certificate in order to document that you've successfully completed training. Submit one certificate with your proposal (e-mailed with your other supplementary materials). Be sure to keep one copy for your records. Please note that the training certification is valid for three years, meaning that if your training certification has expired or will expire during the course of your intended research you must provide proof of re-certification with your application.
 
Step 3: If you are a student, work closely with your faculty advisor to finalize your "research protocol,” which is a fancy word for the set of documents that establish the procedures you will follow to recruit participants, secure informed consent, conduct the research, and debrief with them. See below for details of what constitute that set of potential documents.
 
Step 4: All IRB applications must begin with submission of the Online IRB Proposal Form. We cannot review your proposal unless we know EXACTLY what you are planning to do.
 
Step 5: All IRB application for full-review approval, which is the most common approval sought and needed, must include the following items attached as separate files to a single email sent to [email protected] after submission of the online form and by the required monthly deadline:
  1. Recruitment Script: A document detailing the written text or spoken prose you will communicate to potential research participants, including the format and medium of such communication (e.g., in-person conversation, email, SMS messages, social media postings and messages, flyers, etc.).
  2. Consent Form: A document each participant will read and (in almost all cases) sign that secures their “informed consent” in participating. Please see the “Informed Consent” tab in the top menu for specific requirements.
  3. Research Instruments: A document or several documents that details the data you are collecting and how. For example, if you are conducting a survey you should include the actual survey questionnaire including any instructions that will accompany it. For another example, if you are conducting an interview you should include the actual interview questions including any instruction will accompany them. Please note that some projects involve different interview questions or survey questions for different categories of research participants. Some projects involve multiple surveys or combining surveys and interviews. Other projects involve prompts, stimuli, or experiments in which instructions are given, a video is viewed, a sound is heard, and so forth. The research instruments you submit should be comprehensive so that the IRB can review any and all research instruments you will be using to prompt and collect data from your research participants.
  4. Debriefing Statement: A document detailing the written text or spoken prose you will communicate to actual research participants indicating to them the research process has been completed, expressing thanks for their participation, and reminding them of any relevant contact or information necessary.
  5. CITI Certificate in Human Subjects Research Training: The certificate you receive after successfully completing your required online training certificate. Please note that for research projects involving more than one person, CITI certification is required for each and every person involved in the collection of data or the handling of collected research data.
  6. If you are a student, your faculty advisor must review the proposal form and supplementary materials and send an email to [email protected] indicating that they are advising your project and have reviewed your materials.
  7. If you are using a language other than English in your recruitment, securing informed consent, conducting research with participants, and/or debriefing, you must submit the relevant document in both English and the other language(s) you will be using. Please note that unless unless you are a faculty member, staff member, or graduate student whose first language is that non-English language, any non-English language translations must be certified
We cannot review your proposal unless we know EXACTLY what you are planning to do. Providing information at this level of detail is necessary so that the Bard IRB can make an informed decision about potential risks to participants and ensure that your research project and its protocols comply with IRB requirements. Completing this process will probably help novice researchers prepare careful and consistent procedures of data collection.
 
Please note that the Bard IRB meets once a month during fall and spring semesters in accordance with the published schedule of submission deadline and response dates. All IRB proposals must be submitted before the deadline of the period in which research want their proposals reviewed. Please note that incomplete proposals (i.e., the application form and all required supplemental materials) will not be considered for review and it is the responsibility of the research to ensure that all required materials are in by the deadline. If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an email at [email protected].
Project Checklist

A complete IRB application should contain:

  1. A completed Online IRB Proposal Form. The submission form requests basic contact information as well as critical information for assessing the research procedures intended.
  2. Copies of your recruitment scripts or texts, including in-person conversation, email, SMS messages, social media postings and messages, flyers.
  3. A copy of  your consent form (or in the rare case that written consent is waived, a script for oral consent). For more detail on Informed Consent, including example consent forms, visit the Informed Consent section.
  4. Copies of your research instruments:
    • Exhaustive list of any interview questions.
    • More than one exhaustive list of interview questions if you will be asking different sets/combinations of questions for different groups (e.g., managers and employees, faculty and students, etc.) or otherwise tailoring the interview questions accordingly.
    • Description of procedures for all study conditions, including the control condition.
    • Copies of all questionnaires or survey instruments used in the research, including any and all versions if there will be different ones used in different circumstances or with different groups.
    • Copies (or detailed descriptions) of any prompts and stimuli used, including texts, videos, sounds, images, and tasks.
  5. Copies of your debriefing scripts or texts, indicating the data collection has ended, thanking the participants for their participating, and providing any necessary contact information and additional information.
  6. Documentation that you have completed training in the online training in Ethical Treatment of Human Research Participants. If you have other individuals helping you with data collection or processing, including translators, these individuals are also required to complete the online course and have their certificates included in the application.
  7. Emailed approval from your faculty adviser. The email should state, "I have reviewed [your name]'s proposal and I will oversee this research in its entirety."
Template for new IRB submissions
This template contains every question you are required to answer in your new IRB Application.

You must submit your formal application through the online site. This document will not be accepted as your application submission.
Template for New IRB Applications.pdf
Template for renewal IRB Submissions
This template contains every question you are required to answer in your new IRB Application.

You must submit your formal renewal application through the online site. This document will not be accepted as your renewal submission.
 
Template for IRB Renewal Applications.pdf
Revised Proposal
If you received a letter from the IRB requiring revisions to your proposal, requesting additional information, or requesting additional materials before approval can be granted, please revise your proposal as suggested and email your revisions and materials to [email protected].

Once a project is approved, the content of the research protocol, including the consent form, research instruments, and recruitment scripts should not be altered.

If changes are necessary after you receive approval, an amendment must be filed specifying the changes. Approval for the changes must be received by the researcher before data collection can be changed. To submit such a revision, email [email protected] the revised protocol with changes highlighted and a cover letter explaining the general scope and rationale for the revisions
Questions

You should be working closely with your faculty adviser as you develop your research methods and your project description. For detailed advice about the content of your proposal, your faculty adviser should be your first source of guidance.

If you have questions about the preparation and formatting of your IRB proposal, please read the Bard IRB web pages carefully, including the FAQ page.

For questions or comments about the website, email [email protected].

Contact the IRB

Bard's Institutional Review board is made up of faculty from the College plus administrative and community representatives.
Please feel free to contact the IRB ([email protected]) if have any questions about the IRB process or your specific proposal. The current members of the Bard IRB are: Tom Hutcheon (chair), Ziad Abu-Rish, Andrew Bush, Peter Gadsby, Theresa Law, Nicholas Lewis (administrative representative), Mark Moreland (community representative), Monique Segarra, and Theresa Law.
[email protected]