Institutional Review Board

The mission of St. Norbert College obligates all members of the college community to respect the sacred dignity of all creation. Review of proposed research by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) assures attention to three ethical principles (respect for persons, beneficence and justice) that underlie the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects.
 
Respect for persons involves recognizing the personal dignity and autonomy of individuals, and special protection of those persons with diminished autonomy. Beneficence entails an obligation to protect persons from harm by maximizing anticipated benefits and minimizing possible risks of harm. Justice requires that the benefits and burdens of research be distributed fairly. 

The Belmont Report describes how these principles apply to the conduct of research. Specifically, the principle of respect for persons underlies the need to obtain informed consent; the principle of beneficence underlies the need to engage in a risk/benefit analysis and to minimize risks; and the principle of justice requires that participants be fairly selected.
 
The implementation of an IRB (Faculty Handbook, Procedures and Information, XX. St. Norbert College Institutional Review Board) in no way compromises the right of free inquiry in research by faculty and students (Faculty Handbook, Faculty Policy Statement, I. Academic Freedom), but further affirms the rights of human subjects of research, and the rights of others who may be affected by the research (Faculty Handbook, Procedures and Information, XXI.  Additional Principles and Procedures Related to Research at the College).  Review of proposed research by an IRB is consistent with the mission of the college, consistent with the procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook and mandated by federal statute.
 
General Information 
Use of humans for research or instructional purposes is subject to review and approval of the IRB. The IRB subscribes to a set of guidelines that comply with applicable federal statutes, which must be followed whenever research involving human subjects is undertaken. General policies and procedures are set forth in the Faculty Handbook Procedures and Information XX. Specific practices, required forms, and other relevant information are available on this web site. 

Chairperson
David Bailey, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Biology
Gehl-Mulva Science Center, Room 2055A
St. Norbert College 
De Pere, WI 54115 
Phone: 920-403-3242 
Email: irb@snc.edu