Human Subjects Protection Program/IRB

The IRB is comprised of no less than five members, one member must have a non-scientific background, and at least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with UVI, as required by federal regulations. The members reflect the diversity of the institution and community.  During the review of protocols dealing with special prison populations, a non-affiliate alternate is brought in. 

No IRB member may participate in the review of a proposal in which the member has a conflict of interest. Specialists may be invited by the IRB to provide technical assistance if the subject matter is deemed outside the expertise of the sitting IRB members. 

The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs who serves as the Institutional Official (IO) appoints members of the IRB. The Office of Sponsored Programs serves as the administrative office for the IRB.

Current Members:

• Noreen Michael, Ph.D., Chair

• Verleen McSween, Ph.D.

• Suzanne Darrow-Magras, Ph.D.

• Anna Clarke, Ph.D.

• Kelly Harrigan, MS

• Mary Walter, Ph.D.
  

Community Member:

• Lisa Ekpo, DrPH

Alternate Members:

• Nadia Monrose-Mills, Ph.D.

• Vivian Palmer-Lewis, DNP

• Deshona Williams Liburd Audain, Ph.D.

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Regular meetings are scheduled at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.  The UVI IRB meets once monthly on the second Wednesday of the month.  Additional meeting dates may be added on an as-needed basis.  The UVI IRB does not hold any meetings during the month of August.

The below meeting dates are for new applications that do not qualify for exempt or expedited review due to risk level and study population, for modifications, and for protocols that require continuing review by the IRB.  The Office of Sponsored Programs will determine what protocols require full IRB approval based on federal regulatory requirements.

The IRB will make every attempt to review your submission on the assigned meeting date.   In the event your application is not reviewed on the assigned meeting date, it will be assigned to the next meeting date on the schedule.  Submissions received after 4:30 p.m. on the submission deadline date will be assigned to the next meeting date.  

Meeting dates are subject to change.  Should your application not be reviewed at the final IRB meeting of a particular semester, it will be moved to the first meeting of the next semester.

Questions about meeting dates may be directed to Diahann Ryan, Assistant Director of Research Compliance at irb@uvi.edu. 

Summer Semester 2024 Schedule

Fall Semester 2024 Schedule

 

Spring Semester 2025 Schedule

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Institutional Review Boards are enacted under federal regulations known as the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) CFR Title 45, Part 46 Protection of Human Subjects, also known as the Common Rule.  

We are committed to the principles of the Belmont Report. These principles consist of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. These principles guide the review of research with human subjects. The UVI IRB operates under a Federal-wide Assurance (FWA) #FWA00000374 with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

An FWA is a written document submitted by an institution assuring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that it will comply with the requirements outlined in the regulations for the protection of human subjects at 45 CFR Part 46.  UVI’s FWA further states that as a recipient of federal funding shall not only comply with the federal policy for the protection of human subjects but shall also comply with additional human subjects regulations and policies of other federal departments or agencies which conduct or support research and will comply with state, and local laws, and institutional regulations, and policies. 

IRB Registration:

All Institutional Review Boards designated in an FWA must be registered with the US Department of Health and Human Services. UVIs IRB is registered as U the Virgin Islands IRB#1 Registration# 00001269.

The following links provide information concerning the ethical principles, codes, and federal regulations that govern the protection of human subjects in research:

• The Belmont Report
• The Nuremberg Code
• The Declaration of Helsinki Report
• 45 CFR 46 – Common Rule
• Title 34 CFR 99
• NIH HIPAA Privacy Rule: Information for Researchers
• Office for Human Research Protections

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Human subject applications and associated supplemental materials are submitted to the IRB using the Cayuse Human Ethics module of the Cayuse Portal.  Visit the Sponsored Research: Your Resource Hub for information on using Cayuse HE, including step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial for creating an initial submission.

Active faculty and staff will use their UVI credentials to log in through My Campus. Undergraduate students, graduate students, new faculty, and unaffiliated/external faculty advisors are not auto-populated in Cayuse HE.   User accounts must be requested for these groups through the Cayuse User Request Form.  Accounts are activated in 1-2 business days.

Applications submitted for IRB approval are pre-reviewed by the Office of Sponsored Programs IRB Analyst for completeness, compliance and to determine the level of review.  The pre-review process may require that you submit additional documentation or clarification to submitted materials before it is reviewed by the IRB.  

There are three levels of IRB review for human subjects research: exempt, expedited, and full IRB review conducted at a convened meeting.  Exempt and expedited reviews are conducted by the chair or delegated to any member of the IRB.

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The University of the Virgin Islands has subscribed to the Collaborative Institutional Initiative (CITI) Program to provide students, staff, faculty, and faculty advisors with up-to-date information about the ethical requirements for conducting research involving human subjects.  The IRB requires that each researcher review core concepts for the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects before submitting an application to the IRB.  CITI Program certificates are renewable every 3 years.

Human Subjects Compliance Reporting

Concerns or to report incidents related to human subject research at the University of the Virgin Islands may be reported as follows:

• Hotline: 1 (340) 639-1661
• General Compliance Reporting Email: compliancereporting@uvi.edu
• IRB Inquiry Email: irb@uvi.edu

All reports will be kept confidential.

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