Human Subjects Research

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TCU is committed to fostering an environment that promotes the adherence to applicable law, ethical principles, and professional standards while pursuing knowledge through research and scholarly activities. The Office of Research Compliance and Training furthers this commitment to compliance by assisting TCU researchers with meeting professional, regulatory, and university requirements.

Investigators must assure that each member of the research team carries out all research procedures in accordance with ethical principles of research. These principles of Justice, Autonomy and Beneficence were set forth in the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research report “Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research,” known more commonly as the Belmont Report, and codified as regulations in Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46.

Investigators are strongly encouraged to read these and other relevant documents available at the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) policy guidance and international issues web sites.

As an integral part of ethical conduct of research, federal guidelines require an independent review of protocols involving human subjects before an investigator can begin the study. This independent review process provides an unbiased evaluation of the risks, promotes the safety of research participants and documents that the research, when conducted as approved, will be in accordance with federal regulations. At TCU, the Office of Research Compliance and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) serve this independent review function.

It is the policy of TCU that no activity involving human subjects be undertaken until those activities have been reviewed and approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).