Research Ethics and Review Board (IRB)

The MassArt Research Ethics and Review Board, otherwise known as the IRB (Institutional Review Board), is responsible for overseeing all research done at the institution by faculty, students or staff that involves human subjects. The IRB is subject to the regulations of a federal agency: the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Any member of the MassArt community who is conducting research with people must go through the IRB review process before they begin; this is a legal requirement. The IRB process helps protect the people involved and acknowledges their rights as participants in the research. The goals of this process are to ensure that researchers understand and uphold the following standards dictated by federal law:

• Human subjects should not be placed at undue risk;
• Subjects should give uncoerced, informed consent to their participation in the research.