Research & Ethics

The School of Arts & Sciences is committed to ethical research practices. Students and faculty often conduct research on both human subjects and animal subjects, and a series of guidelines and review processes help ensure that experiments are well designed and respect the rights of all living things.

Human Subjects

The University of Richmond’s Office of the Provost maintains an Institutional Review Board (IRB) that is tasked with formally regulating research that pertains to the rights and welfare of human subjects. This includes participants who agree to be survey respondents. The IRB meets once a month, and proposals for review are due one week prior to the meeting. Visit the Office of the Provost for more details on receiving IRB approval. In all cases, research proposals must be approved before research can begin.

Animal Subjects

The School of Arts & Sciences is the only school on the University of Richmond campus where faculty members regularly conduct research that affects animals. The School follows protocol established by the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Like research conducted on human subjects, faculty and students must submit research proposals for approval prior to beginning their work. The IACUC meets monthly, and proposals are due one week prior to each meeting. Proposals should be submitted to the Associate Dean of Research Support, Boatwright Library Administration Wing, Room 17. Researchers must continue to renew approved proposals yearly.