Institutional Review Board Support for STH Researchers
Requirements of Research Involving Human Subjects
If you are completing research involving human subjects the BU Institutional Review Board will need to review and approve your proposed research plan. Students doing research in a course for which the results are not going to be further disseminated do not need to go through IRB approval. Dr. Nicolette Manglos-Weber is the pre-reviewer for the School of Theology and all IRB proposals must first be submitted to and pre-reviewed by her before being submitted to the Charles River IRB office.
Attention Doctoral Students
Your completed and pre-reviewed IRB application must be appended to your prospectus. It may be submitted as soon as the Advanced Studies Committee (ASC) has approved your prospectus. When IRB approval has been granted, a copy of the IRB letter should be submitted to the ASC office to remain on file with your approved prospectus.
Note that you may not begin any research that involves human subjects until this letter is received. The IRB office will NOT grant retroactive approval of studies conducted without IRB review.
Submitting Research Proposals for Pre-review
1. Have you ever completed an IRB proposal at Boston University Before?
a.No – Students completing an IRB proposal for the first time at Boston University MUST have a consultation with Dr. Manglos-Weber to go over their proposal draft BEFORE turning the proposal in for pre-review. Please schedule an appointment to ensure that there will be adequate time to discuss your case.
b.Yes – Students who have submitted to the BU IRB before and wish to meet with Dr. Manglos-Weber before submitting their application may also make an appointment.
2. Submissions – Researchers should email their IRB proposal to busth.irb@gmail.com. This address will be checked daily Monday through Friday. Upon receipt of your proposal, you will receive a confirmation email. Electronic submissions will be reviewed and returned to you within seven (7) business days from the date of the confirmation email.
In-person IRB Pre-reviews
In lieu of written comments, after having submitted an electronic copy of the IRB application for pre-review, students may schedule an appointment to have their applications pre-reviewed in person. Send an email to nmw1@bu.edu to arrange an in person review with Dr. Manglos-Weber. Please note that this is the fastest way to get feedback on your application.
Please remember that the BU IRB board takes approximately four to six (4-6) weeks from receipt of your proposal to return it to you. Thus, you should submit your proposal for pre-review by Dr. Manglos-Weber with this full time frame in mind. Written pre-reviews will be completed and returned with written comments within seven (7) business days of sending the confirmation email. Please note that your application may require adjustment and may need multiple consultations before it is ready to be submitted to the IRB.
In general, it is best to plan on sending your proposal to Dr. Manglos-Weber about two months before you want to start research. For example, if you wish to begin research with human subjects by September 10, 2025 your proposal needs to be sent to Dr. Manglos-Weber for pre-review no later than July 19, 2025. This ensures seven (7) business days for Dr. Manglos-Weber’s review and a full six (6) weeks for IRB review.
NOTE: If you are unsure if your research project requires IRB review, please click here.
