Human Research Protection Program

Air University (AU) policy in compliance with Federal regulations requires the review of research activities for a determination of the involvement of human subjects.  This includes activities conducted by AU Faculty, Staff and Students and by non-AU personnel.

Under 45 CFR 46, “Research” means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.  Activities which meet this definition constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program which is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities. 

Additionally, under 45 CFR, “Human Subject” means a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains:

(i)    data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or

(ii)   identifiable private information.

• Private information includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a medical record). Private information must be individually identifiable (i.e., the identity of the subject is or may readily be ascertained by the investigator or associated with the information) in order for obtaining the information to constitute research involving human subjects.
• Intervention includes both physical procedures by which data are gathered (for example, venipuncture) and manipulations of the subject or the subject’s environment that are performed for research purposes.
• Interaction includes communication or interpersonal contact between investigator and subject.

If you are conducting research as an AU Faculty, Staff, Student, or as non-AU personnel, please contact the designated liaison within your respective school or college, or contact the HRPP POC for AU, Dr. Grissett at jendia.grissett@us.af.mil to obtain pertinent guidance for your research project.

AU is required to maintain documentation of all research involving human subjects.  Please use the following Human Subjects Determination Worksheet.  Once completed, please send the worksheet to the HRPP POC to document and facilitate your proposed research.