Undergraduate Bulletin

Research Involving Human Subjects

Experiments conducted by Stony Brook personnel, on or off campus, in which human subjects are involved are required to be reviewed and approved by the campus Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CORIHS) before they can begin. This requirement extends to questionnaires, both written and oral, and other instruments of personal data collection. Application forms for approval of such experiments can be obtained in most departmental offices or from the University coordinator for research compliance in the Office of the Vice President for Research. A faculty advisor is required for any student-conducted experiment involving human subjects.

Undergraduates are often asked to act as subjects in experiments. They should be aware that their rights as subjects include knowing that an experiment has received the approval of CORIHS. State University policy forbids campuses to require the participation of students as subjects in human research. In almost every instance of such participation, an informed consent form is required of the subject. This form outlines the risks and benefits of participation, enumerates the subject’s rights, and describes the nature of the subject’s participation. Inquiries about subject rights should be directed to the executive secretary of the Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects in the Office of the Vice President for Research.