Human Subjects Research
Harvard University Area IRB
Email: cuhs@harvard.edu
Phone: 617-496-2847
Harvard University policy and federal regulations require that all research involving human subjects that meets the federal regulatory definition of human subjects research be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research begins. This requirement applies to all human subjects research studies that meet this definition, whether conducted by faculty, staff, or students; on or off campus; and regardless of funding. The IRB for Harvard University Area (HUA) researchers, including those in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, is the HUA IRB, also known as the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects (CUHS).
The mission of the HUA IRB is to protect the rights and welfare of participants in the studies conducted by Harvard researchers, and it does so in part by partnering with researchers to understand the risks and benefits of participation in their projects. The guiding ethical principles of the IRB—respect for persons, beneficence, and justice—are embodied in the "Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research."
Applications to the IRB must be submitted through the Electronic Submission, Tracking and Reporting system (ESTR). Please consult the HUA IRB website or contact the HUA IRB office at 617-496-2847 or cuhs@harvard.edu to find out more information about:
- The types of research that require IRB review,
- The process for submitting applications,
- The training required for investigators and their Faculty Sponsors,
- Appropriate forms, templates, and guidance documents, and
- The submission process and training program for undergraduate research, the Undergraduate Research Training Program.