Human Subjects Protection
All research involving human subjects must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) – Human Subjects Protection Committee. The review uses various guidelines to ensure the protocol complies with federal and state regulations and with DSU's institutional assurance compliance filed with the Office for Protection from Research Risks (OPRR). If you are conducting any study involving humans, contact the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for guidance on the process for your study.
Submission of a protocol to the IRB and subsequent approval means the committee has found the protocol to conform to scientific, ethical, and legal standards for research involving human subjects. All survey forms entailing research activities with little or no risk to subjects must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), OSCAR 3rd Floor. Funded and non-funded research projects must also be submitted to OSP.
IRB application deadlines and meeting dates are published periodically (for example, monthly submission deadlines with meetings roughly two weeks later); dates are subject to change due to academic scheduling. For more information, visit the Sponsored Programs Forms Library or contact Ms. Chanel Haman in the Office of Sponsored Programs at 302.857.6834 or chaman [at] desu.edu.
Institutional Animal Care and Use
All animal-use protocols involving vertebrate animals conducted or sponsored by DSU must be submitted for campus Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) review, approval, and periodic review in accordance with campus policies required by federal law. Officials of the University may not approve an activity involving the care and use of animals if the campus IACUC has not approved it.
All faculty and staff using animals for teaching and/or research should download the IACUC Approval Application, which identifies the requirements and procedures for obtaining approval. An animal-use project may not begin until the PI has been notified that the protocol is approved and a protocol number has been assigned. A completed application should be forwarded to Ms. Chanel Haman in the Office of Sponsored Programs. For more information on IACUC, call 302.857.6834.