Starting January 1, 2024, The University of Montana will use the web system Cayuse Human Ethics for human subject research, replacing the paper-and-email submission system. We have stopped accepting paper applications as of March 18, 2024. Click here for more information and guidelines for the new Cayuse platform.

About the IRB

The mission of the University of Montana (UM) Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to ensure the protection of human participants in research, maintain federal regulatory compliance, and facilitate research at the University of Montana.
Federalwide Assurance number = FWA00000078, expires 01/13/2028
IRB Registration number = 00000854, expires 11/15/2025

UM Policy 460 requires that all projects involving human subjects research be approved by the UM Institutional Review Board (IRB) when UM faculty, staff, or students are engaged in the research. Grant applications for these projects also must show evidence of IRB approval before they are processed by the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship.  Please contact us if you have any questions about your research.

Defining Engagement

In general, an institution is considered engaged in a particular non-exempt human subjects research project when its employees or agents for the purposes of the research project obtain: (1) data about the subjects of the research through intervention or interaction with them; (2) identifiable private information about the subjects of the research; or (3) the informed consent of human subjects for the research. See the Federal guidance on engagement.

Is Your Project Human Subjects Research?

The UM IRB reviews projects in accordance with the Federal definitions of research and human subjects. For detailed clarification and examples, please refer to "Is your project Human Subjects Research?" Investigators should err on the side of caution and consult with the IRB to establish the status of their projects.

IRB Essentials

• All research team members need to complete a Human Subjects Protection course before the IRB application can be approved (may be waived by the IRB Chair for some exempt projects).
• The IRB review must be conducted before you involve human participants in your research, including any study advertisement or subject recruitment.
• You need to have final, written IRB approval before you begin.  All consent forms and flyers must be approved, date-stamped, and signed by the IRB before being used.
• If you do not have IRB approval for your research, your research project cannot be recognized by UM and, for students, may not be accepted to fulfill any academic requirements.
• Except in very limited circumstances, the IRB cannot review research that has already been conducted.

Helpful URLs

• HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)
• NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children As Participants In Research Involving Human Subjects
• Qualtrics, a UM-hosted web survey tool, makes it easy to develop, administer and analyze online surveys (When using any online survey software, include a statement of confidentiality in your IRB application materials)
• Gunning Fog Index - ("the easiest to use and probably the most popular readability index")

Contact

Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects
IRB Office: Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB), room 104 (By Appointment Only)
IRB@umontana.edu