Institutional Review Board
What is the IRB?
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for reviewing all human subjects research to ensure that it is conducted in an ethical manner that protects participants and promotes their well-being. The federal government sets forth the regulations that govern the work of the IRB. All human subjects research that is federally funded is required to be reviewed according to certain standards and procedures; Wheaton chooses to employ these guidelines to review all research with human participants. More information about the federal guidelines that describe the ethical principles relevant to human subjects research can be found on the federal Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) website.
When reviewing applications, the IRB focuses on three main ethical principles, as defined in the Belmont Report (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1978):
- respect for persons (“individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and…persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection”)
- beneficence (“maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms”), and
- justice (which concerns “who ought to receive the benefits of research and bear its burdens”).
I've got lots of questions!
Please take a look at our list of frequently asked questions.
Who can I contact if I still have questions?
Dr. Sarah Hall, the IRB chair, can be reached at sarah.hall@wheaton.edu or 630.752.5774.
IRB meeting dates & deadlines
Exempt and expedited reviews occur on a rolling basis year-round. The deadlines below apply only to applications that require full review.
| Committee Meeting Date | Deadline for Full Review Submission |
|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | May 1, 2026 |
| September 16, 2026 | September 1, 2026 |
| October 21, 2026 | October 1, 2026 |
| November 18, 2026 | November 1, 2026 |
| December 16, 2026 | December 1, 2026 |
| January 20, 2027 | January 1, 2027 |
| February 17, 2027 | February 1, 2027 |
| March 17, 2027 | March 1, 2027 |
| April 21, 2027 | April 1, 2027 |
| May 19, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
Documents
- IRB Application Form
- IRB Exemption Checklist
- IRB Expedited Review Checklist
- IRB Renewal & Final Report Form
- IRB Adverse Events Report Form
- IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) Fillable (please complete and sign electronically)