This section has been revised for Faculty and Staff use. Start with the first link on the left and continue through the list as needed. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader: free download of the Reader program is available from the Adobe Acrobat Website, to view most of the documents.
History of the UW-Superior IRB
Beginning in 1974 (revised in 1983 & 1991), federal regulation 45CFR46 required that any research receiving funding by the Department of Health and Human Services must be reviewed by the researcher's home institution for ethical treatment of human research participants. The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) is the DHHS oversight unit. In 2000, the regulation was expanded to include a uniform IRB process for all federal funding agencies (the Federal-wide Assurance Policy).
After the initial creation of 45CFR46, most educational and medical institutions voluntarily expanded the policy to provide IRB oversight of all research using human subjects conducted by the institution, whether or not federal funding was involved. Animal research is likewise subject to ethical oversight by an institutional committee, the Animal Care and Use Committee.
The UW-Superior IRB has been up and running for several years. It uses the federal guidelines to establish and review research projects, both student and faculty/staff, which involve human subjects.