CSUDH Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects
Remember: Subject recruitment and data collection must not be initiated prior to formal written approval from the CSUDH Institutional Review Board.
The CSUDH Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and community members who review research studies that involve the use of human subjects. The purpose of the IRB is to protect the rights of human research subjects by ensuring compliance with university and governmental regulations as specified by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).
Where do I start?
Step 1: Verify whether your project requires IRB review.
If you're unsure whether you need to submit a full protocol for IRB review, complete the following brief intake form and the IRB will reach out to you. (If you already know that you need to submit your study for IRB review, you can skip this step.)
Step 2: Complete the online training course in Human Subject Protections.聽
- Personnel engaged in human participant research are required to take a CITI course for Human Subjects Research.
- Our campus utilizes a Single Sign On (SSO) method, please click on the tab and log in using your CSUDH Campus credentials.
- You can choose the聽Biomedical, Socio-Behavioral,聽辞谤听Educational course based on the type of research you typically conduct.
聽Please note that the IRB Office requires a minimum score of 80% on the final score and the scores of all the individual modules.
- Be aware that completing the required modules for Human Subjects Research takes about two to three hours; all modules do not have to be completed during a single online session. To re-enter the course, remember to save your username and password.
- After completing your course, save a copy of the Completion Report. Your study will not be reviewed until your CITI training has been verified.聽
- Contact the IRB office at 310-243-2136 or irb@csudh.edu聽for any questions.聽
Step 3: Determine when to submit your proposal.
- It is best to submit at least four weeks before you plan to begin recruiting subjects to allow time for any required revisions and obtaining any applicable permission letters.
- In some cases, the protocol must be reviewed and approved by the full board. The IRB meeting schedule is shown below. Your proposal should be in the IRB office three weeks before the board meeting to be placed on the agenda. For modifications and renewals two weeks in advance of the meeting.聽
- IRB 2025-2026 Meeting Schedule [pdf]
- Principal Investigators (faculty or staff) must read proposals written by students prior to submission to the IRB. Proposals with numerous grammatical/spelling errors or unclear research methodology will be returned to the Principal Investigator for further review/revision.
Step 4: Complete the protocol submission process in Cayuse Human Ethics (HE).
Follow the instructions linked below to complete, certify, and submit your protocol in Cayuse HE.
Consent Forms - customize the appropriate form for your protocol based on whether or not you plan to collect a signature from your participants.
Other Possible Forms Needed - Check with the IRB office or a faculty advisor to determine need.
For Study Modifications or Continuing Review (will move to Cayuse in Fall 2023):
For Biomedical Research Protocols:
Other Documents and Websites You May Want to Examine:
For more information contact Judy Aguirre, Research Compliance Officer at (310) 243-2136 or irb@csudh.edu.