Research Involving Human Subjects
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Before any research involving human subjects can be conducted under the auspices of the university, an Intuitional Review Board (IRB) review is required. Data from human subjects are not to be collected until written approval is received by the student from the University's Institutional Review Board. The main considerations and responsibilities of the IRB are to assure that ethical standards and the protection of human rights are maintained in any research conducted while at the student is enrolled at UNC.
Researchers are advised to obtain and submit an IRB application early in their research process to allow time for a thorough review. Information about UNC's IRB's process and the link to Streamlyne (the web-based IRB application portal can be found on the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs website: https://www.unco.edu/research/research-integrity-and-compliance/institutional-review-board/streamlyne-for-unc-users.aspx
Student Liability
To protect against liability claims, all research involving subject consent requires a statement informing potential subjects that their participation is not covered by university liability insurance. The subject consent form must include the following statement:
If injuries occur during the course of research, subjects are advised that the University of Northern Colorado is a publicly-funded institution of higher education and as such, liability may be limited under and governed by the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act.
The State of Colorado's Risk Management Division (the unit responsible for UNC's liability insurance) has concluded that student researchers are not protected by the state against claims unless they are student employees, interns, or authorized volunteers assigned to a research project (most student researchers would not be). This means that most graduate students working on their master's theses or doctoral dissertations are not protected by the state of Colorado against claims resulting from their research.
This decision has serious implications for student researchers who are working with human subjects. Any student researcher who is placing subjects at some level of risk should be concerned. For example, student researchers are engaged in a variety of activities that could potentially harm their subjects (e.g., they draw blood, conduct therapy sessions, and evaluate physical conditioning). Regardless of how responsible researchers may be, accidents can happen. Though the researcher is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of research subjects, low risk research, as defined by Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines and described in the Procedures for Research Involving Human Participant, may not be recommended for special liability insurance coverage.
For moderate to high risk procedures, the IRB committee will strongly recommend that student’s purchase liability insurance either through a professional association or an alternative source.