Institutional Review Board

About the IRB

Bakersfield College is committed to fostering scholarly research while protecting the rights, privacy, and well-being of individuals who participate in research. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews applicable research involving human subjects to ensure compliance with ethical principles, federal regulations, and institutional policies.

Research involving human participants, individual-level student or employee data, campus-wide surveys, focus groups, or interviews must be reviewed and approved by the BC IRB, as appropriate, before the research begins. All research activities should be conducted ethically and align with the college's mission, values, and strategic priorities.

The BC IRB operates under a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), and complies with the Common Rule (45 CFR 46), guided by the ethical principles outlined in The Belmont Report.

Not all projects require IRB review. Program evaluation, quality improvement, and institutional effectiveness activities conducted solely for institutional administrative purposes may not constitute human subjects research under the Common Rule.

Questions? Contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at research@bakersfieldcollege.edu for guidance on whether IRB review is required before beginning your project. 

Submit an IRB Application

To conduct research involving Bakersfield College students, employees, or individual-level student or employee data, please complete the BC Institutional Review Board (IRB) Application Form.

External researchers seeking IRB review should email research@bakersfieldcollege.edu for the BC IRB form.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness will coordinate the IRB review process and notify you of the next steps.

Review Timeline

• Institutional Effectiveness will acknowledge your submission within 10 business days.
• IRB review typically takes 4–6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the proposal.
• Submit applications at least 10 business days before the end of the fall or spring semester.
• Projects requiring full board review should be submitted as early as possible. Please note that the full IRB does not meet during the summer.
• For a copy of the IRB Policies and Procedures, please email research@bakersfieldcollege.edu. 

Members