Human Subjects /IRB

Welcome to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Human Research Protection Office (HRPO).  The UMass Amherst HRPO is the administrative hub for the University’s Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and Institutional Review Board (IRB).  Our office provides professional and administrative support to the IRB as well as the larger UMass Amherst community (including faculty, students, and staff) who engage in human subject research.

Working in partnership with the UMass research community, the HRPO and the IRB are responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of research participants. Guided by the principles set forth in the Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Human Subjects of Research, the HRPO strives to ensure that research conducted under the auspices of UMass Amherst complies with all federal, state, and local regulations.

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the UMass Amherst HRPP is to provide a comprehensive and systematic mechanism designed to protect the rights, dignity and welfare of individuals who are the subjects of research conducted by University faculty, staff, or students.

University Commitment

UMass Amherst subscribes to the ethical standards delineated in the Belmont Report, all applicable federal, state and local regulations related to the conduct of human subject research, as well as University policies and procedures. The University also understands the necessity to take into consideration, cultural contexts, and to comply with local laws and customs when conducting transnational research.

Federal Wide Assurance

The UMass Amherst IRB is registered with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Human Research Protections (IRB00000017) and UMass Amherst holds a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) which documents the University’s commitment to comply with federal regulations for the protection of human subjects in research (FWA00003909).

Offices/Location

The HRPO is located at Mass Venture Center, 100 Venture Way, Suite 116, Hadley, MA 01035.  Our offices are open Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm.  You can reach us by phone at 413.545.3428 or via email at humansubjects@ora.umass.edu.