Baylor University operates a Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) to protect
the rights and welfare of individuals who volunteer to participate in the research
mission of Baylor. While the ultimate responsibility for the treatment of all human
subjects in research rests with the individual researcher (faculty, students, or staff)
who has been given the privilege to conduct research with humans, the IRB exists as a
safeguard to promote the ethical and responsible treatment of human subjects in research,
by conducting an ethical review of research studies while providing education and
guidance for the research community.
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All research involving human subjects, regardless of the source of financial
support, must be reviewed and either exempted from IRB review or approved by
the IRB before the research project can be initiated. Guiding this review process
is the application of federal and state regulations, university policies and
procedures, and the ethical principles of the Belmont Report: (1) Respect for
Persons, (2) Beneficence, and (3) Justice.
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Baylor University operates its HRPP under a Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) filed
with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Human
Research Protection (OHRP) (FWA 00008275). Baylor’s IRB is registered with
OHRP and the FDA under IRB00002777.
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The Office of Research Compliance in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research
has administrative oversight over the HRPP. The designated Institutional
Official is Kevin Chambliss, Ph.D, Vice Provost for Research.
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The Baylor IRB is composed of people with professional expertise in various areas
of science, social science, ethics, law, medicine, nursing, statistics, research
methodology, and education. In addition, the IRB always has at least one member
from the Waco community who has no formal ties with Baylor University. The current
IRB Chair is David W. Schlueter, Ph.D.
