Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Durham Tech is committed to ensuring that all research involving human participants follows the ethical principles and requirements set forth in the federal Protection of Human Subjects policy (45 CFR 46), the Belmont Report, and the Nuremberg Code.
Durham Tech encourages and supports the scholarly endeavors of its students and employees, as well as other educational institutions and reputable community organizations. The pursuit of scholarly work and research sometimes involves human subject participation where subjects’ data is collected and analyzed. When research conducted involves human subjects, it is necessary to ensure that the rights and welfare of the subjects are considered and protected; that risks have been considered and minimized; that the potential for benefit has been identified and maximized; that all subjects only volunteer to participate in research after being provided with legally effective informed consent; and that any research is conducted in an ethical manner and in compliance with established standards. Individuals under the age of eighteen (18) are unable to give informed consent and cannot participate in human subjects research without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
To support these principles, Durham Tech has established an Institutional Review Board (IRB), a specially formed review body established to protect the welfare of human subjects in research. Durham Tech’s IRB reports to the Vice President, Chief Academic Officer (Chief Academic Officer), who serves as the Institutional Official and appoints the IRB Chair and the IRB Administrator.
The Institutional Review Board policy and procedure outlines the authority of the IRB, types of research, the responsibilities of the board members, researcher, and employees, as well as the appeals process and corrective actions for policy violations.
IRB Committee Administrator
- Dr. Kathy Zarilla, IRB/Perkins Administrator and Instructor, Biology/Microbiology
IRB Committee Chair
- Dr. Anna Sanders-Bonelli, Chair/Instructor, Social Sciences
IRB Committee Members
- Dr. Johanna Brown, Assistant Dean/Registrar, Admissions, Registration, and Records
- Dr. Marina DelVecchio, Instructor, English
- Dr. Holly June, Dean, Student Services
- Ed Moore, Community Member
- Dr. Melanie Riester, Director, Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Planning