The University of Richmond IRB and its “FWA”
The University of Richmond has a federalwide assurance agreement (FWA) with the U.S. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). This assurance agreement is signed electronically by the University of Richmond President and is on file with IRB records in the IRB Chair’s Office in Richmond Hall, Rood 118 (in Suite 113). Changes to UR OHRP records must be made through the OHRP Electronic Submission System at http://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/efile .
OHRP approval is necessary for the operation of an IRB where any of the research may involve federal funding. Directions on updating the FWA and related information follows.
- The University of Richmond’s FWA number is FWA00002622. The expiration of this FWA is currently 9/22/2020. The FWA must be updated at least every five years, prior to expiration, or when there is a change in the “Signatory Official” (the University of Richmond President). The FWA organization name is “U Richmond”.
- OHRP also assigns an IORG number, which for the University of Richmond is 0001935. IORG stands for the parent “Institution/Organization” of the IRB. The University of Richmond only has one IRB, therefore the IORG period of approval and the IRB period of approval are the same. (Some institutions have multiple IRBs. For example, VCU has four IRBs. Three IRBs primarily review biomedical research and one IRB focuses on social/behavioral/educational research.) The UR IORG and IRB both expire on o5/15/2019. The IORG and IRB expiration dates “advance” to three years after a change or update is made to the IORG or IRB information.
- The name of the University of Richmond IORG is U Richmond.
- The registration name of the UR IRB is U Richmond IRB #1.
- The University of Richmond’s IRB Number is 00002441.
- The Signatory Official for the UR IRB is the University President. The University of Richmond IRB Chair and administrator is Dr. R. Kirk Jonas.
Changing Information in the OHRP Electronic Submission System. For detailed information on changing information in the OHRP Electronic Submission System, click this link.
Key 2016 Information for UR IRB Assurance. For key information on the content of information on the University of Richmond in the OHRP database, click this link.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Registration of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). To view the current OHRP document that registers the University of Richmond IRB with OHRP, click this link.
Please direct questions regarding the University’s FWA to Dr. R. Kirk Jonas, the IRB Chair. Questions may also be directed to irb@richmond.edu.
The source of most UR-relevant federal policies relating to the protection of human subjects of research can be found at the website of the U.S. Office for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research (OHRP). Specifically, the sections on Policy and Guidance and the regulations at Title 45, Part 46 (Human Subjects of Research) are most relevant to the human subject research usually performed at the University of Richmond. These federal regulations are commonly known as 45 CFR 46, standing for Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46.
Subpart A of the 45 CFR 46 is often referred to as “The Common Rule” because many federal agencies have adopted the regulations in Subpart A in lieu of developing unique regulations of their own. The University of Richmond has — in its assurance agreement with OHRP — agreed to apply The Common Rule to all of its research, whether or not that research is funded by the federal government. It should be noted that the adoption of The Common Rule is standard practice among institutions of higher education in the United States.