Institutional Review Board (IRB) IRB Policies, Procedures and Forms
Point Park University is committed to the pursuit, acquisition and teaching of new knowledge, and does so through the support of research conducted by faculty and students.
It is the policy of Point Park University that research that involves human subjects and non human subjects, must be conducted in accordance with established ethical and professional standards, and that all such research must be approved by the University's Institutional Review Board.
Effective 11/01/19, all faculty, staff and students who are engaging in human subjects research will be required to complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training prior to submitting a proposal to IRB. For training information, please see CITI training document: Collaborative-Institutional-Training-Initiative-Instructions.docx
Institutional Review Board Meeting Dates
The IRB will convene monthly as needed to discuss full board review applications. Exempt and expedited proposals will continue to be reviewed on a rolling/weekly basis. If you have an IRB proposal that requires full board review, you MUST submit the application and supporting materials to irb@pointpark.edu at least two weeks prior to the full board meeting date. Any full board applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed until the next month’s meeting.
If you have any questions, please contact IRB Chair, Dr. Sarah Schulz, at sschulz@pointpark.edu.
| Full Board Meeting Date | Deadline for Proposals | |
| September 2024 | Week of September 30th | September 16th |
| October 2024 | Week of October 28th | October 14th |
| November/Dec 2024 | Week of December 9th | November 25th |
| January 2025 | Week of January 27th | January 13th |
| February 2025 | Week of February 24th | February 10th |
| March 2025 | Week of March 31st | March 17th |
| April 2025 | Week of April 28th | April 14th |
Please note: expedited and exempt proposals submitted during the summer (May - August) will continue to be reviewed within 1-2 weeks of submission. The process/timeline for Full Board Reviews amy vary depending on faculty availability. Please plan accordingly.
Point Park University's policies and procedures for its IRB were developed in accordance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Institutional Review Board Guidebook: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/archive/irb/irb_guidebook.htm.
- IRB Policies and Procedures (PDF format)
Please use one of the following formats and submit your proposal to irb@pointpark.edu
The following information should be submitted for all IRB applications:
- IRB Proposal Review form
- CITI Human Subjects Training certificates for Principal Investigator(s) and any additional members of the research team. Point Park students must also submit the CITI training certificate for faculty advisor.
- Human Subjects Consent Forms
- Recruitment Materials
- Data Collection Instruments
- If applicable: letter(s) of permission to conduct site-based research outside of Point Park University
Sarah Schulz, Ph.D.
Chair, IRB Committee
Department Chair and Associate Professor
Psychology Department
412-392-8160