Research Policies, Procedures​, Committees

Principal Investigator (PI)

• Consult appropriate compliance committees for guidance and (if deemed necessary) receive approval or exemption for research prior to its taking place. The three main compliance committees are listed by category in the sub-navigation menu to the left of this page.
• May not self-determine exemption from committee review and/or engage in research without committee approval or exemption unless the research does not fall under the broad definitions of eligible research as defined by federal guidance and committee rules.
• Abide by committee decisions unless an appeal system is in place and a successful appeal has resulted.

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

• Supports the work of compliance committees on campus. OSP​ does not directly engage in committee work.
• Abides by compliance committee decisions.

Compliance Committees (IRB, IACUC, IBC)

• Each compliance committee linked from this page is mandated by the college and relevant federal agency to oversee and review research that occurs within its purview.
• Reviews are required to maintain compliance with the federal government and to protect the well-being of research participants, the PI and the college.

Any research study using human participants is mandated by federal law and college policy to adequately protect participants from harm of any kind. This applies to all human participants in a study, regardless of any factors, whether or not they are members of the RIC community.

Rhode Island College's Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with the responsibility for reviewing research involving human participants to determine: whether the rights, welfare and privacy of participants are protected; the risks to participants are outweighed by potential benefits; and informed consent is obtained by adequate and appropriate methods. The Committee follows federal guidelines and, in some cases, imposes more stringent requirements than federal guidelines in reviewing research protocols.

Federal law requires that academic institutions such as RIC in which live vertebrate animals are used in research and/or teaching must establish and maintain an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). It is the charge of this committee to oversee all aspects of animal care and use on campus in order to ensure compliance with provisions of the Animal Welfare Act and Public Health Service policy on humane treatment of animals.

The Rhode Island College Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) was established as specified in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines for Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. The IBC oversees research involving recombinant DNA, and develops policies and provides expertise to reduce risks to faculty, staff, and students working with biohazardous materials and recombinant DNA technology. The IBC reviews research protocols to determine whether a Principal Investigator (PI) who administers and/or uses biological materials employs proper containment, decontamination, and disposal procedures in compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and ensures students and staff are properly trained.