Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The Middlesex Community College Institutional Review Board (IRB) supports the research endeavors of students, faculty and staff. The IRB has responsibility to oversee procedures for carrying out MCC's commitment to protect human subjects in research. The IRB is authorized to review, approve, require modifications in, or disapprove research activities using human subjects conducted by or through MCC.

The role of the IRB is to:

  • review proposed research projects that involve the use of human subjects;
  • ensure that the individuals involved in the project are treated ethically;
  • ensure that all subjects are provided with substantial information about the study and consent to be a subject in the study;
  • ensure that all personal or private information will be handled with confidentiality.

The IRB does not assume the role of evaluating the soundness of the proposed research study, the merits of the research design, nor the potential contribution of the research to the scholarly literature. Rather, the IRB is charged with evaluating each project's compliance with ethical standards in regard to issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, and risk to participants. Any research involving the use of human subjects requires review by the IRB. Those individuals seeking to conduct human subject research may not solicit subject participation or begin data collection until they have obtained clearance by the IRB.

The IRB's purpose, authority and procedures are outlined in the MCC Policies and Procedures as assured by the Office for Human Subjects Protection (OHRP).

For questions regarding the IRB or human subject research contact the IRB Chair, Rebecca Newell at 978-656-3363 at irb@middlesex.mass.edu

Last Modified: 8/4/23