Compliance for UG Researchers

Compliance for Undergraduate Researchers

Before beginning research involving human subjects or animals, you will need to become familiar with the ethical boundaries that can affect you in research. Furthermore, you will need to understand how or if your project requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use (IACUC) approval. All of the below requirements must be completed PRIOR to beginning research.

Working with Human Subjects

In order to maintain compliance at Wichita State, we require that students who are working with human subjects in their research take a Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Course. This course is called "Students - Class Projects," and should take approximately 3-4 hours to complete. After you enroll in and complete this course, please print out the certificate of completion and give one copy to the Honors College and one copy to your professor. Your professor may require additional courses related to your project. Please confirm with them which courses you will need to take when you enroll.

You will also need to ensure that you have the appropriate IRB approval. If you are working on a portion of a professor's project, but you were not listed as a co-investigator on the original IRB application, then you will need to have the professor submit an amendment to the IRB Review Board. If you are working on a project that has not yet been approved by the IRB, you will need to submit an application. Your faculty mentor should help you navigate the IRB form, but if you have additional questions, contact undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu or irb@wichita.edu. You may also visit the wichita.edu/irb website for additional forms and guidance documents.

Working with Animals

In order to maintain compliance at Wichita State, we require that students who are working with animals in their research take the appropriate Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) courses. The first course is called "Working with the IACUC," and you will also complete the modules related to the species you will be working with. After you enroll in and complete these courses, please print out the certificate of completion and give one copy to the Honors College and one copy to your professor. Your professor may require additional courses related to your project. Please confirm with them which courses you will need to take when you enroll.

You will also need to ensure that you have the appropriate IACUC approval. If you are working on a portion of a professor's project, but you were not listed as a co-investigator on the original IACUC application, then you will need to have the professor email iacuc@wichita.edu in order to get the correct addendum form to submit. If you are working on a project that has not yet been approved by the IACUC, you will need to submit an application. Your faculty mentor should help you naviage the IACUC form, but if you have additional questions, contact undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu or iacuc@wichita.edu. You may also visit the wichita.edu/iacuc website for additional forms and guidance.