Only the IRB compliance staff may make the determination whether or not a project is human subjects research. The IRB Compliance Office has determined that research using specific publicly available data sets, class projects meeting specific criteria, some oral history projects, and some projects using readily available cell lines or cultures do not constitute human subjects research and do not require you to submit a request for a research determination. Requests to add a dataset to the preapproved list should also be sent to the IRB Compliance Office. The IRB compliance staff will review the submission and email you with a determination.
With some studies, it may not be clear if it is human subject research. Some sponsors or publications may require verification that a study does not constitute human subjects research from the IRB. Please use the Application for Designation of Not Human Subjects Research to make this determination.
The IRB has already designated some data sets as not human subjects research. To view the list or apply to have a study added to the designated list, please see the Policy for Publically Available, Archival and Secondary Data.