The UAF IRB meets monthly via Zoom to discuss applications requiring full board review and to conduct other IRB business.   Protocol related applications must be submitted via IRBNet by 5:00 p.m. local time 10 business days prior to the meeting.

Please submit non-protocol related items to the Research Integrity Administrator via e-mail to uaf-irb@alaska.edu at least 5 business days prior to the scheduled meeting date.

Winter/Spring IRB Meetings: 

• Generally the first Wednesday of each month
• Location:  Zoom
• Time:  9:00am to 10:00am
• Submission Deadline:  Two weeks prior to each meeting date @ 5:00 P.M. (ADT)

Note:  All submissions for IRB review must be made through IRBNet!  

All researchers with projects to be reviewed by the full board are welcome to attend.  Please let us know if you plan to attend at 907-474-7800.

The UAF IRB is registered with the OHRP and its procedures are set forth in UAF's Federalwide Assurance on file with the OHRP within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These procedures are formulated by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and approved by the Institutional Official, IRB, and OHRP. A current copy of UAF's Assurance is available for review from ORI.

Protecting human participants in research involves, first and foremost, adherence to the basic ethical principles for the conduct of research.  Everyone engaged in research involving human participants is expected to read and understand the Belmont Report and apply these principles to every aspect of their work.  The Belmont Report is the basis for the U.S. federal regulations and provides the framework for IRB protocol review.

• Respect for persons (autonomy)
• Beneficence
• Justice

All individuals working on a UAF IRB Protocol must have a demonstrated knowledge of human subject protections.  To learn about human participant protections and to document that you have completed a formal educational program please enroll in and complete the recommended modules in the CITI Educational Program. NO protocols will be accepted for review until, at the minimum, the Principal Investigator has successfully completed the core components of the CITI training. Prior to final approval of any protocol requiring expedited or full IRB Review, the entire research team must successfully complete the required CITI training.

Click Here for a list of references that are useful for stimulating discussion about the ethical conduct of research involving human participants, participants or co-researchers.

The UAF IRB is an independent body comprised of scientists, non-scientists, and community members who are not affiliated with the university. The IRB reviews all UAF research projects involving human subjects by applying the three ethical principles mentioned above. The IRB review process is quite different from peer review; therefore, to assist you in your application the IRB has developed a forms that request the necessary information.  Although this is different from a peer review process the IRB requires that you clearly state your research objectives and methodology because it is an integral component of evaluating risk versus benefit.

Note: A side-by-side review of the IRB protocol and proposal is required for projects funded by the U.S. Public Health Service.  Please submit a copy of your proposal in your IRBNet submission package.

All IRB forms are available through IRBNet, the board's online protocol management system.  All applications to the IRB for new or continuing research protocols must be submitted through IRBNet.   More information about IRBNet and instructions for creating your account and submitting an application are available on the IRBNet (e-file) page of this website.

This web site provides the basic information and guidance for UAF faculty, staff and students that propose research involving human participants. If you have specific questions whether the work proposed is "research" or "program assessment, quality assurance or quality improvement, review the guidance document (WORD).

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions be sure to contact the staff in the Office of Research Integrity at 907-474-7800.