Advising Student Research

Students should understand and follow the same Researcher Responsibilities as faculty and staff researchers. But they need your active guidance to help them with study development, HRPP application submission, and support/oversight as they conduct their projects. Before agreeing to serve as an advisor to a student project, you should be familiar with and ready to accept all Advisor Responsibilities (below). Also, please read the Guidance for Student Researchers to see specific expectations outlined for them.

Unless you are truly serving as a co-investigator on a protocol (conducting parts of the study or data analysis that you'll use in tandem with the student), a student should not list you as part of the "Study Team." The student should not use "we" and "us" in the application or participant materials unless individual study team members have been identified as co-investigators or research assistants in the key personnel section.

If you are new to advising student human research projects or would like more guidance, we're here to discuss any of your questions or concerns. Watch for upcoming virtual "Advisors of Student Research" sessions to better understand HRPP expectations for your role. 

Note: A dissertation or thesis chair may serve as a student protocol advisor, but chairs are not the protocol advisors by default and should not be listed as such on the application.

• Help students understand the both general and field-specific ethical practices when collecting data from individuals (even if the project might not meet the formal definition of human participant research).
• Ensure the student completes human participant research training (CITI certification) at the beginning of the study development process. Your CITI certification is also required to initiate processing a new submission. Provide any additional discipline-related training to support the student researcher’s competence in carrying out the proposed project.
• Be sure the student understands relevant HRPP policies and approximate determination/approval timelines when planning for submission. Note that University closures and holidays typically cause processing delays due to staffing limitations.
• For the submission and all further HRPP correspondence, remind the student to copy you on all emails.
• Stay in close contact while the student researcher conducts the study to support the endeavor and ensure the student follows all processes in the approved protocol.
• Instruct the student to respond promptly to all HRPP communication (or you may respond on the student’s behalf) for any protocol status inquiries or requests for information.
• If the student needs to make any changes to the protocol, help them take necessary actions. Exempt studies do not require formal Modification Requests, but the student should email the HRPP to add new personnel (and provide CITI certification). For Expedited or Full Board studies, assist the student with submitting a formal Modification Request. Remind them to wait for an HRPP response before adding personnel or making changes.
• Help the student promptly report any unanticipated problems, deviations, or noncompliance to the HRPP or do so on the student’s behalf.
• Be sure students complete a Downgrade to Exempt (DTE)/Study Closure Report, as applicable, upon completion of the project.
• For Full Board protocols, assist the student with submitting a Continuing Review Application on an annual basis before the study approval expiration date.
• For projects that continue past graduation, assist the student in transferring PI status to you before leaving through a Modification Report. (WWU cannot assume responsibility for unaffiliated individuals such as alumni.) The student may continue as part of the study team as an independent co-investigator or in another role, but you will need to take over maintaining all raw data and study records, as well as assuming all other primary investigator responsibilities.
• For most concluded projects without federal funding: students should deidentify or destroy all data, including signed consent forms, before leaving campus. Consult with the HRPP if the project needs to retain identifiable data for any reason.

We understand that the 10-week quarter system places an unusual burden on students trying to complete projects within a term. We will do our best to help move their applications through in a timely manner.

However, depending on current submission volume, University closures, and/or the number of revisions a student might need to make, we can't guarantee a determination or approval within a set time period. We ask you to help students set realistic expectations in terms of the complexity of a project, as well as their anticipated timeline in the context of approximate HRPP review timeframes.

Keep in mind that submissions of poor quality (lacking clarity, missing human participant training certification or other information, etc.) may be returned without review until such problems are addressed. Supporting your advisee in ensuring a strong, professional protocol submission will greatly assist the review process and timeline.