MPA The IRB's authority and obligation to approve, require modifications in or disapprove research involving human subjects is described in a document called the MPA which stands for Multiple Project Assurance of Compliance with DHHS Regulations for Protection of Human Research Subjects . If you have any questions about the MPA, please feel free to contact the IRB office. Human Subject means a living individual about whom an investigator Obtains data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or Obtains identifiable private information, directly or indirectly or From whom an investigator obtains tissue or bodily fluids. Intervention includes manipulation of the subject or subject's environment as well as physical procedures. Private information includes personal data information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for a specific purpose by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public, e.g., a medical record.
Research means a systematic investigation, designed to develop or contribute to general knowledge.
If you intend to publish your findings, you are most likely conducting research. At Tulane, all research involving human subjects requires IRB review and approval before research activities begin. This includes all studies, regardless of degree of risk or the source of funding. Simple, low risk studies such as surveys may qualify as exempt from IRB review under federal regulations. Investigators at Tulane may not declare their own studies exempt.