Faculty/Staff Researchers

Any WWU affiliate (faculty or staff member, graduate or undergraduate student) may serve as Principal Investigator when submitting a protocol application to the HRPP. Note the following HRPP oversight restrictions and requirements:

NTT Faculty Members

The HRPP does not differentiate between tenure-track/tenured (TT) faculty members and non-tenure track (NTT) faculty members on contract. However, the HRPP cannot provide study oversight for individuals not under current contract or whose contract ends. If you are a NTT faculty member and initiate a research study that does not conclude during the length of your contract, you will need to identify a TT faculty or permanent employee sponsor to serve as the formal WWU affiliate for your study. Submit a Modification Request to inform the HRPP of this situation before your contract ends. This restriction applies to Exempt studies as well, because even though they are not under HRPP "oversight," they are being conducted under the auspices of WWU and thus must have a WWU affiliate attached to the project.

Contract Staff

The HRPP does not differentiate between permanent full-time/part-time employees and temporary employees, provided they remain on contract. However, the HRPP cannot provide study oversight for individuals not under current contract or whose contract ends. If you are a temporary employee and initiate a research study that does not conclude during the length of your contract, you will need to identify a TT faculty or permanent employee sponsor to serve as the formal WWU affiliate for your study. Submit a Modification Request to inform the HRPP of this situation before your contract ends. This restriction applies to Exempt studies as well, because even though they are not under HRPP "oversight," they are being conducted under the auspices of WWU and thus must have a WWU affiliate attached to the project.

Students

Once you graduate or if you pause your studies, you are not considered a current WWU affiliate. For ongoing studies (including Exempt) that do not conclude while you remain a WWU affiliate, you will need to submit a Modification Request to transfer PI status to your faculty or staff advisor. You may remain on the protocol as an independent researcher in a co-investigator capacity. Non-federally funded studies: If you conclude your study, you must deidentify or destroy all data, including signed consent forms, before you graduate WWU.

Alumni Exceptions

Alumni who receive grants requiring WWU institutional affiliation (e.g., Fulbright Scholars) remain eligible for WWU HRPP/IRB review and oversight for the duration of the grant.

IMPORTANT

Policies of other WWU offices or organizations regarding PI eligibility might impact roles for HRPP protocol submissions. For example, if an external granting agency does not permit students to serve as primary investigators, a faculty or staff member must be listed as PI on the protocol with the student as co-investigator, research assistant, or other research personnel as applicable. For funded research, check with Research and Sponsored Programs for guidance.

The HRPP reviews research protocols of any level from all WWU affiliates (faculty or staff member, graduate or undergraduate student). Non-WWU affiliates may serve as form creators, co-investigators, or other key personnel, but may not submit applications for review as principal investigators. 

1. Follow all relevant WWU policies, current HRPP policies and procedures (2024), and the federal 2018 Revised Common Rule (45 CFR 46), established to protect human research participants.
2. Commit to the ethical principles of the Belmont Report to protect the rights and welfare of all participants throughout the study.
3. Be sure all study team members fully understand the nature and goals of the study and will follow sound ethical practices.
4. Complete Social and Behavioral CITI certification to provide with your application. (All study team members who will collect or work with identifiable data must provide certification.)
5. Closely read and adhere to the investigator attestation at the end of the application form; this includes following all study and consent processes described in the protocol.

When working with co-investigators at other institutions, read the Guidance on Ceding or Obtaining HRPP/IRB Oversight early in your process to discuss what makes the most sense for your project within the various process requirements. 

NOTE: The WWU HRPP does not enter into reliance agreements (IRB Authorization Agreements) for Exempt/NHPR projects because, by definition, these projects are determined exempt from IRB review and approval and thus our oversight.

We want this process to be collaborative not intimidating. While we won't tell you how to run your study (you're the discipline expert), we can offer suggestions to improve ethical practices, minimize risk to participants, lower review level, etc.

While we don't have the bandwidth to fully "pre-review" a protocol for all possible review considerations, we'll gladly provide general feedback on drafts or offer guidance on specific topics. Email the HRPP with your questions or contact us to schedule an appointment.

NOTE: To ensure that we can meet the regular demands of the office and keep processing times reasonable, we ask that you first look to see whether the information you're looking for is available on the HRPP website before you contact us with queries.