Gulf Coast State College's (GCSC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) is administered by a standing committee of at least five members who are responsible for ensuring that applicable research involving human subjects maintains compliance with U.S. Department of Health & Human Services regulations (Title 45, Part 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) guidelines, institutional Manual of Policy (MOP 2.065), and Internal Management Memorandum (IMM 2.065).
OHRP Registration: IORG0009585 | IRB00011400
Mission statement:
GCSC's IRB aims to facilitate scholarly activity while protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of individuals participating in human subjects research.
Federalwide assurance:
GCSC's IRB is committed to upholding the terms of its Federalwide Assurance (FWA00026563). IRB oversight activities are further guided by three ethical principles articulated in the Belmont Report:
- Respect for persons – individuals should be treated as autonomous agents; persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to additional protection.
- Beneficence – do no harm; maximize benefits and minimize harms.
- Justice – requires that individuals and groups be treated fairly and equitably in terms of bearing the burdens and receiving the benefits of research.
SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL FOR REVIEW:
Principal Investigators seeking approval from GCSC's IRB to conduct a research project shall:
- Complete OHRP Human Research Protection Foundational Training as required by GCSC IMM 2.065.
- Contact the Chair listed below to request an application package, ask questions, or seek clarification regarding whether a proposed activity requires IRB review.
- Complete and submit the application package to GCSC's IRB Chair, including proposals believed to qualify for exemption. Incomplete packages will be returned for additional information. Research involving human participants may not begin, including participant recruitment or data collection, until all applicable IRB determinations and institutional authorizations have been issued in writing.
- Review the IRB Chair's initial review email notification, which will identify whether the proposed activity:
- Does not constitute human subjects research requiring IRB review;
- Qualifies for exempt research classification (i.e., activities may commence once approval from an appropriate GCSC Vice President is secured in accordance with IMM 2.065);
- Qualifies for expedited review (i.e., a final decision will be rendered by the IRB Chair or their designee); or
- Requires full-board review (i.e., a final decision will be rendered by a quorum of IRB Committee members).
- Respond to any subsequent clarification or modification requests that are deemed necessary for a final decision to be rendered.
- Once your research has received final authorization, maintain compliance throughout the approved research period. Maintaining compliance includes, but is not limited to, promptly reporting unanticipated problems involving risks to participants or others, applicable noncompliance, and proposed changes requiring IRB review. Changes to approved research generally must receive IRB approval before implementation, except when necessary to eliminate an apparent immediate hazard to participants—in which case the change must be reported promptly.
Committee Members:
GCSC's IRB Committee consists of faculty, administrators, staff, and at least one external community stakeholder that meet monthly to review proposals and discuss on-going research protocols:
| Institutional Review Board Members | |
|---|---|
| Kris Hatcher | Chair | KHatcher1@gulfcoast.edu |
| Ursula Backus | |
| Todd Brister | Non-affiliated with GCSC (i.e., Community Member) |
| Jennifer Barber | |
| Lacy Newsom | Health Science Representative |
| Melanie Pendergrass | |
| Melanie Pelton | |