About Us

The Pitzer College Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required by federal regulations to review all human subjects research activities conducted for which: (1) the conduct or recruitment of the research involves Pitzer College resources (property, facility or funding, including extramural funds administered by Pitzer College); (2) the research is conducted by or under the direction of any employee, student or agent of Pitzer College in connection with his or her institutional responsibilities; (3) the research is conducted by or under the direction of any employee, student or agent of Pitzer College using any property or facility of Pitzer College; or (4) the research involves the use of Pitzer College’s non-public information to identify or contact human research subjects or prospective subjects.

Pitzer files a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) with the Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Human Research Protections (DHHS/OHRP).  Pitzer College’s FWA assures the government and the public that it will comply with federal regulations for the protection of human research subjects.

The function of the IRBs is to ensure adherence to all federal, state, local, and institutional regulations concerning the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research. Pitzer College’s IRB review is required for both funded and non-funded human subjects research.

The IRB’s role at Pitzer extends to all research involving human subjects whether conducted by faculty, staff, or students. The purpose of the IRB is to inform and protect human subjects used in research. The IRB acts as an advocate for the research subject. This means that the IRB, during its review of a research project and the informed consent, has the right and responsibility to ensure that the research subject is fully informed of the procedures involved in the study as well as the risks.