Professor Joseph M. Piro
HomeE-mail: joseph.piro@liu.edu
Phone: 516- 299-3683
FAX- 516-299-3312
IRB and Human Subjects Training
In many cases it will be necessary for doctoral students to obtain permission from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at LIU before they begin their dissertation research and/or data collection. This IRB approval usually applies to dissertation studies that have an experimental basis, but may also involve those more qualitative in design. Generally, if human subjects research is involved, this research must be approved by the IRB. However, depending on the nature of your dissertation topic, your research may also be classified as "exempt." This is generally decided on using a case-by-case evaluation.
You should check with your chair and committee on details for submitting an application. This process requires both adequate time and careful thought before submission. You should give yourself enough time before you actually begin data collection to work on the IRB application. It will be an important part of the dissertation process and one that is necessary to complete before you start any data collection process.
This is an excerpt on this training from the IRB website regarding research conduct:
Conflict of Interest (COI) and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
All LIU faculty, staff, and students conducting research with human subjects are required to complete appropriate human subjects training. In the past, the IRB has accepted online training through NIH. As of September 26, 2018, NIH no longer offers this training. Based on this change and in light of LIU’s ongoing commitment to conducting exemplary research, we are offering (and will soon be requiring) CITI training for all of the individuals participating in a study. The IRB will continue to accept NIH training certificates until January 1, 2019. After January 1, 2019, all new IRB applications and renewals will require participating individuals to submit CITI training certificates. Of the courses offered by CITI, all individuals conducting human subjects research will be required to complete 1) a protection of human subjects (SBE or biomedical--see below) course and 2) the responsible conduct of research course.
Further, all “investigators” involved in PHS sponsored research will be required to complete 1) Financial Conflicts of Interest; Overview, Investigator Responsibilities, and COI rules, 2) Institutional Responsibilities as they Affect Investigators, and 3) Conflicts of Commitment and Conscience. All “investigators” involved in non-PHS externally funded research will be required to complete Conflicts of Commitment and Conscience. “Investigator” is defined as any person responsible for the design, conduct or reporting of research.
Additionally, all individuals participating on NIH, NSF and USDA grants who are required to take RCR training must complete the CITI RCR basic training course. NIH requires that all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research. NSF requires that all undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers participating in a research project receive appropriate training and oversight in the responsible conduct of research. USDA requires Institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures.
Additional training may be required depending on the nature of research. CITI training is provided at no cost and will need to be renewed every three years.
Link to more information at:
LIU Post IRB page (for information on forms, university procedure etc.):
