Important IRB Updates

Dear Colleagues:

I am deeply appreciative of the ongoing commitment of our Fairfield University faculty during these difficult circumstances.  The context of the rapidly evolving circumstances related to Covid-19, and Fairfield University’s focus on social distancing and the health and well-being of our community also creates certain challenges for the research community. 

The Fairfield University Institutional Research Board (IRB) for human subjects research, in consultation with the Associate Vice Provost for Scholarly, Creative, and Community Engagement, has issued revised standards related to human subjects-related visits during this time period. 

Detailed information can be found on the IRB website:  http://faculty.fairfield.edu/IRB/.

In short, studies involving face-to-face interaction with participants with no direct therapeutic benefit should be postponed until further notice.  All research involving direct contact with human subjects research visits may be performed remotely (e.g., by phone or Zoom) whenever possible.  This may require submitting an amendment to the IRB for approval, the details for which can be found on the IRB website.

The IRB remains operational, although approvals may take longer than usual due to our current circumstances.  All research that qualifies for exempt, expedited, QI, or delegation to an external IRB will continue to be processed year-round. Please contact IRB Chair Dr. Linda Henkel, Dept. of Psychology at lhenkel@fairfield.edu and continue to check the IRB website for updates:  http://faculty.fairfield.edu/IRB/. 

The Fairfield University community is deeply grateful for the continued research of our faculty and the dedication of the IRB. 

Sincerely,

 Jocelyn M. Boryczka, PhD

Associate Vice Provost for Scholarly, Creative, and Community Engagement

Professor of Politics