Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research

Policies
University Policy
Policies and Procedures of the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects

Guides, Resources, Frequently Asked Questions
Committee Meeting Schedule
Application, Renewal and Study Closing Forms
Consent Form Guide and Samples
Committee Staff and Contacts
Other Harvard University Human Subjects Committees

AAHRPP Stamp of Approval

The Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) was founded in 2001 with the purpose of providing universities and other research institutions objective, thorough evaluations of their human research protection programs, in order to ensure that they perform at levels that surpass federal standards.

AAHRPP's mission is to accredit "high-quality human research protection programs in order to promote excellent, ethically sound research. AAHRPP encourages effective, efficient, and innovative systems of protection for human research participants."

Back to Top

University Policy

Vote of the President and Fellows of Harvard College of 22 September 2003 regarding the use of human subjects in research

Policies and Procedures of the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects

Policies and Procedures Document PDF will open in a new window.

Guides, Resources, Frequently Asked Questions

The Intelligent Scholar's Guide to the Use of Human Subjects in Research: This publication describes the operation of the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) that is responsible for reviewing research involving living human beings. The Committee serves the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, all other University-area schools, and the Radcliffe Institute. The ISG is also available to download in PDF format.
Harvard Ethics Training in Human Research (HETHR): Required online human subjects protection training
Guidelines for determining the need for Committee review: A discussion of some categories of research that may, or may not, require review by the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Federal Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects (45 CFR 46): This document, Chapter 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 46, details the rules relating to federally-funded research involving human subjects.
The Belmont Report (Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research): This document, produced by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, is a statement of basic ethical principles and guidelines for biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects.
Office for Human Research Protections, Department of Health and Human Services: This office is responsible for administration of the regulations at 45 CFR 46 concerning the use of human subjects in research.
Bibliography: A list of useful links and books regarding the use of human subjects in research.

Back to Top

Committee Meeting Schedule

The Committee meets monthly throughout the academic year. Applications are due to the Committee on the following dates in 2008-2009:

Application Deadline (Wed)	Meeting (Thurs)
3 September	18 September
1 October	16 October
29 October	13 November
3 December	18 December
5 January	15 January
4 February	19 February
4 March	19 March
1 April	16 April
6 May	21 May
3 June	18 June