Below are FAQs for researchers at William & Mary. If you have questions that are not covered, please feel free to reach out to using one of the contact methods listed at the top of the "Contact Us" page.
Displays FAQs about research at W&M.
What are the three research committees?
Research protocols that involve human participants are required to be submitted to the IRB (Institutional Review Board) using the SPARCS product/module “Human Ethics.” The federal oversight body is the Office of Human Research Protections,
Research protocols that involve animals are required to be submitted to the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) using the SPARCS product/module “Animal Oversight.” The federal oversight body is the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare,
Research protocols that involve biohazards or other hazardous materials are required to be submitted to the IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) using the SPARCS product/module “Hazard Safety.” The federal oversight body is the National Institute of Health.
How are research protocols processed?
Research protocols are submitted using SPARCS, Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance System. Protocols must be approved by the respective research board before research can commence.
Depending on your research, you will submit it using one of the following modules or “products.”
Human Ethics (IRB)
Animal Oversight (IACUC)
Hazard Safety (IBC)
To learn how to submit a protocol using SPARCS, you can review user documentation posted on the SPARCS William & Mary website.
§ 32.1-162.20 expresses the applicability of federal regulations to human research conducted in Virginia. Generally, state law conforms to federal law State law also provides useful detail on the issue who can be a legally authorized representative of minors in research for the purposes of informed consent.
Under state law, minors are persons under the age of 18. See § 32.1-162.18. Informed consent of the Code of Virginia for details on this issue.
Covers animals that must be tracked by the USDA. If you will be conducting research with a USDA-covered species, you must alert the Research Compliance office.
You can visit William & Mary’s Research Compliance page and our SPARCS website to learn more information about how research is processed at the University along with resources from the federal oversight bodies.
