WIU Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit Institutional Review Board (IRB) was established to ensure that entities engaged in research activities under the auspices of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit comply with all federally mandated regulations that govern research involving the protection of human subjects.
The Federalwide Assurance (FWA) is required for all Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) funded research involving the use of human subjects. It is a formal commitment made by an institution to provide for the protection of human subjects; any institution with a FWA agrees to and is responsible for protecting human subjects. A FWA is not required for research that has not received federal funding, but an institution may make the decision to hold all research involving human subjects to the standards listed in the FWA.
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit has agreed to hold all research to the federal standards.
The FWA includes the following components:
- The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit assures that all research involving human subjects, regardless of funding source, will be guided by the ethical principles in The Belmont Report. Published in 1979 by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, The Belmont Report lays out the basic ethical principles and guidelines to be used when conducting research involving human subjects.
- The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit assures that it will apply Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46 and all its subparts to all human subject research. 45CFR46 discusses the federal rules for conducting research involving human subjects.
The following forms are used to communicate with the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit IRB and will be updated periodically. Review the Research Investigators Manual carefully before submitting any documentation to the IRB.
Contact Information
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit IRB
102 Equity Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 878-214-8460