Collin College's Institutional Review Board (IRB) exists to protect the rights and safety of human participants in research and to encourage research within Collin College in accordance with Board policy.
Research Request Review Process
Researchers seeking to conduct studies targeting Collin College faculty, students, or staff must request a review of the proposed research project by the IRB’s Research Request Review Committee. The review will evaluate the potential benefits to the Collin College community, as well as its inherent risks.
Investigators seeking research project approval should email researchrequests@collin.edu with the following:
- A brief biography of the researcher.
- The name of the sponsoring institution or organization.
- A detailed project proposal, including the research purpose, methods, target population at Collin College, follow-up timeline, how Collin College will be referenced in publications (e.g.,“a large community college in the Southern U.S.”), and anticipated benefits to the college.
- Copies of all IRB decisions from the sponsoring institution.
- A detailed description of the resources requested from Collin College.
The Research Request Review Committee will evaluate the project relative to the criteria described above, and it will make a recommendation about whether the College should support the proposed project to a designated member of the District President's Cabinet for a final decision.
If a decision is made to support the proposed research project, Collin College strongly recommends that a collaborator at Collin College be recruited as a co-investigator to facilitate communication. Both parties will be responsible for providing the IRB with all necessary documents to complete the appropriate review.
IRB Review Categories
The IRB determines the type of review needed after receiving a complete application and all related materials, such as recruitment emails and consent forms.
Exempt Reviews
Expedited Reviews
Full Reviews
Four steps for IRB Approval
Start by designing your study, including hypothesis, research methods, and sample.
Request to be added to the IRB Training Canvas Course by emailing IRB@collin.edu.
Request IRB TrainingComplete your human subjects protections training through the Office of Human Research Protections. Information is available in the Canvas course for the free online training. You will be able to access the application and sample materials after submitting your training certificates.
Complete Canvas CourseComplete the IRB review application form, which can be accessed in the Canvas course, and submit the form and all supplementary files in Canvas.
Log into CanvasStart by designing your study, including hypothesis, research methods, and sample.
Continue to Next Step
Request to be added to the IRB Training Canvas Course by emailing IRB@collin.edu.
Request IRB TrainingContinue to Next Step
Complete your human subjects protections training through the Office of Human Research Protections. Information is available in the Canvas course for the free online training. You will be able to access the application and sample materials after submitting your training certificates.
Complete Canvas CourseContinue to Next Step
Complete the IRB review application form, which can be accessed in the Canvas course, and submit the form and all supplementary files in Canvas.
Log into CanvasFAQs
Not necessarily. If your training certificate was issued within three years of your IRB application submission date, you do not need to complete additional training. Submit your certificate as proof to the IRB through the Canvas IRB Training Course or via email if you don’t have access to the course.
Yes—if you are recruiting participants who are affiliated with Collin College (e.g., students, faculty, staff, or administrators) or using Collin College resources to recruit, you must obtain Collin College IRB approval before beginning data collection.
However, if your research is conducted entirely outside of Collin College, IRB approval from the other institution is sufficient. In some cases, the other institution may accept Collin College’s IRB approval in lieu of requiring their own review.
Email IRB@collin.edu for detailed information.