Human Subjects Protections:
Guidance for Graduate Student Researchers

Graduate student research activities include, but are not limited to, projects that result in undergraduate honors theses, or doctoral dissertations.  

IRB approval is generally required if human subjects are involved, either directly or through use of identifiable data about them and the intent is to develop new or expanded knowledge. Failure to obtain proper approval in advance may jeopardize your data, prevent you from publishing the results, and place you and the university in violation of federal regulations.

Students submitting projects to the IRB for review must include the following information as part of their package on IRBNet:

  1. Copy of Master’s or Dissertation Proposal
  2. IRB Application (Student cannot be PI)
  3. CITI certificate for PI, Co-Investigator’s, student investigator and all key personnel
  4. Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Approval Sheet signed by all members of their committee.
  5. Electronic signatures from PI, Co-Investigator’s, student investigator and department chair.
  6. Copies of all questionnaires, informed consent forms, advertisements, flyers, brochures, scripts that are applicable to the research protocol.

After IRB Approval has been granted for the research protocol, graduate students may email researchintegrity@etal.uri.edu for final signature of Thesis or Dissertation Proposal Approval Sheet by the IRB Administrator.