“With prayers and support, this whole experience stretched me in a way I never thought possible.”
–Jessica Kelley, CCCU Uganda Studies, Fall 2009
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The Research Compliance Committee (RCC) provides support for faculty, staff, and students in regulatory requirements for research and teaching activities involving vertebrate animals, research involving the use of human subjects, and research involving the use of hazardous agents. The RCC is responsible for the development and implementation of university policies and for coordinating institutional compliance with federal and state law/regulations. The RCC supports the university in promoting the responsible conduct of research.
The Research Compliance Committee presently may serve in one or more of three committee assignments:
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
- Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
Institutional Review Board
The IRB component for Southern Wesleyan University is a federally mandated body established to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects recruited to participate in research activities conduct under the auspices of the institution. Any research activity in which faculty, staff, or students investigate and/or collect data on or from human subjects (including surveys), or use existing data (including specimens) collected from living human subjects requires review by the IRB prior to its initiation. Any changes to the project after IRB approval must be submitted for continued approval. Continuing review is also required at intervals established by the regulations and further determined by the IRB.
The guidelines for submitting an IRB application to the Research Compliance Committee are given below:
| CLASS PROJECTS that are limited to secondary analysis of data, records, or specimens that are either publicly available, de-identified, or otherwise impossible to be linked to personal identities. | No IRB action required. |
| CLASS PROJECTS that involve direct interaction with individuals (such as a survey) or human subject data that contains identifiers. | IRB Class Project Form must be filled out and submitted to the RCC prior to the project being conducted. |
| RESEARCH that is limited to secondary analysis of data, records, or specimens that are either publicly available, de-identified, or otherwise impossible to be linked to personal identities. | IRB Exemption Form must be filled out and submitted to the RCC prior to research upon the data being presented. |
| RESEARCH that involves direct interaction with individuals (such as a survey) or human subject data that contains identifiers. | IRB Exemption or Expedited/Full Form must be filled out and submitted to the RCC prior to research being conducted. The specific form will depend upon the type of research and the risk to subjects. |
| RESEARCH that involves direct interaction with individuals (such as a survey) or human subject data that contains identifiers and can present significant risk if the data became available. | IRB Expedited/Full Form must be filled out and submitted to the RCC prior to research being conducted. |
The difference between a class project and research is that research is an activity intended to gather and disseminate new knowledge (or insights or data), whereas class projects are intended to give students additional knowledge or skills training. New data may be gathered in a class project, but data are not the focus.
The IRB documents are given below:
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
The IACUC component is responsible for the oversight of the Southern Wesleyan University animal program, facilities, and procedures and for the complete and adequate review of all (vertebrate) animal activities conducted at, or in association with Southern Wesleyan University. The IACUC assures that animal care and use is in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, as well as university policy and assurances. The IACUC is the principal advisory source in humane care and use of animals within the university and, as such, the appropriate body for reviewing and investigating concerns or complaints involving the appropriate care and use of animals. The Committee has the authority to approve, negotiate modifications, suspend, or terminate animal activities deemed not in compliance with the aforementioned regulations. The Committee will recommend changes and improvements to the university animal program or facilities necessary to maintain a high quality animal research program and to maintain compliance with appropriate regulations.
The IACUC document is given below:
Institutional Biosafety Committee
Southern Wesleyan University aims to provide a safe and healthy work environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors. The intent is to minimize to the extent practicable, all recognizable hazards and to com ply with federal and State laws and regulation. The basis of compliance is determined by the “NIH-Guideline for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules” (April 2002) and CDC-NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (5th edition).
The IBC is a federally mandated review body to review and approve research utilizing recombinant DNA, biological and chemical hazardous materials and select agents. This involves research activities conducted at Southern Wesleyan University.
Research activities may also involve the use of animals or humans. In these instances, research protocols are reviewed as functions of the IACUC or IRB.
The IBC document is given below: