Institutional Review Board

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) Office supports Augusta University’s commitment to ethical research by ensuring the protection of human subjects and compliance with federal regulations. We serve as the central point of contact for advancing the goals of the Enterprise Human Research Protection Program (HRPP).

We uphold the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report—respect for persons, beneficence, and justice—and ensure adherence to federal regulations, including the Common Rule (45 CFR 46) established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These principles guide our efforts to minimize risk, secure informed consent, and ensure participants fully understand the research and associated risks.

The IRB has the authority to approve, exempt, disapprove, monitor, and require modifications to any research involving human subjects, as outlined by federal and institutional policy. All research must receive IRB approval or exemption before any study-related activities begin.

The IRB Office provides a wide range of support services, including:

Administrative support for internal IRB committees
Facilitation of collaborative research with external institutions and non-affiliated investigators
Monitoring and oversight of all IRB-approved studies
Education and training for investigators and IRB committee members
Complimentary study-specific submission guidance through our consultation service
Templates and guidance documents for IRB submissions
Educational webinars on IRB and human subjects research topics
Community engagement and outreach initiatives to bridge the gap between researchers and community members

Contact Us

Research Institutional Review Board

irb@augusta.edu

706-721-3110

Contact Us

Research Compliance

Health Sciences Campus
Augusta, GA 30912

706-721-1483

800-576-6623

(Institutional Compliance Hotline)

Emergencies: For after-hours research subject-related emergencies, please call the IRB Office at 706-721-3110.

Resources for Investigators

Tools for Researchers Database

Access the Tools for Researchers database to view IRB-related and institutional policies. Enter a search term—such as IRB, IRB templates, IRB policy, IRB guidance, Exempt, or Expedited—to review a list of relevant documents matching your search.

Tools for Researchers

Online Human Subjects Determination (OHSD) Form

The Online Human Subjects Determination (OHSD) form is an electronic tool that collects key project details to determine if an activity qualifies as human subjects research and whether IRB review is required. Effective November 1, 2025, this will be the sole method for HSDs.

OHSD Consultation & Training Sessions

The OHSD Consultation helps researchers interpret the federal definitions of “research” and “human subjects research” and accurately complete Augusta University’s Online Human Subjects Determination (OHSD) form. Choose this service if you are unsure whether your activity is research, unsure whether it involves human subjects or identifiable data, need help navigating the OHSD form, or do not fully understand your OHSD determination.

IRB Study Consultation

Use this service if your project has already been determined (e.g., via OHSD or prior knowledge) to qualify as human subjects research and you need help preparing a submission to the Augusta University IRB. During the IRB Submission Consultation, an IRB consultant will provide step-by-step, study-specific guidance to help you prepare a complete submission under the appropriate review pathway (exempt, expedited, full board, or reliance/multi-site).

Virtual Walk-In Wednesday: IRB Educational Webinar Series

Designed for researchers at all levels, the series features expert-led sessions on IRB topics and research processes essential to human subject research at Augusta University.

IRB Training Session

Our office offers tailored educational support to Augusta University faculty and staff through one-on-one training and guest lectures on human subjects research and ethics.

Protocol Builder

Protocol Builder is an online tool that helps investigators create IRB-ready human subject research protocols with all required elements for scientific and ethical review.

IRB Training Videos

Our IRB Training Video Archive contains a wide range of videos designed to educate human subjects researchers on ethical principles, regulatory requirements, and the IRB submission process.

Getting Started Guide for IRB Submissions

The Getting Started Handbook is a helpful resource for investigators, providing a detailed overview of the required tasks and documents for various types of study submissions, including new studies, amendments, and reportable events.

CITI Program Training

All investigators are required to complete the appropriate CITI Program training courses prior to engaging in human subject research activities at AU.

IRB Office Internship

The Augusta University IRB Office Internship provides Master of Public Health students with practical, hands-on experience in human subjects protections, research ethics, and IRB operations. This 2-credit hour internship requires a minimum of 75 field hours over one semester.

Requesting Human Research Box Drive Access for IRB Approved Studies

Once IRB approval is granted, the Principal Investigator must request access to the Human Research Box Drive, where all human subject data must be stored to ensure confidentiality and data security.