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2025-2026 Winter Closure

The IRB & SCRO offices will be closed during Stanford’s Winter Closure from Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026, and will resume operations on Monday, January 5, 2026. View Submission Deadline information for IRB/SCRO review prior to the upcoming Winter Closure.

Guidance A-Z

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NOTE:  If you are having trouble accessing these documents, please ask IRB Education (email or call 650-724-7141) to have them sent to you.

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TopicGuidance/Reference
(key words within document)
Doc/
source
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)Human Gene TransferEH&S Website
Genome Editing and Gene Drives and StanfordEH&S Website
Infectious Agents: Regulations and GuidelinesEH&S Website
Children in ResearchAdditional Protections - Inclusion of Children (FDA)GUI-9
Additional Protections - Inclusion of Children (OHRP)GUI-1
Research Involving a Placebo Arm (implications of March 2013 FDA final rule, subpart D)IRB memo
Children Involved as Subjects in Research - "407" Review ProcessOHRP
Ethical Considerations for Clinical Investigations of Medical Products Involving Children – FDA GuidanceFDA
Consent for Children and Consenting MinorsGUI-C24
Parental PermissionGUI-C34
Parental Permission for Children in School Based Studies
(FERPA, PPRA)
GUI-45
Risk Level in Pediatric ResearchGUI01042
ConfidentialityCertificates of Confidentiality (COC) - Human Subjects NIH
Privacy and Confidentiality (HRPP Ch 11)HRPP Policy Manual
Conflict of InterestFaculty - Policy on Conflict of Commitment & InterestResearch Policy Handbook
ConsentAdobe Sign Information and InstructionsOffice of Research Website
Consent Form Do's & Don'ts (a practical guide)AID-C1
Basic Research Consent RequirementsGUI-C27
General Requirements for Informed Consent - OHRPGUI-C41
General Requirements for Informed Consent - FDAGUI-C42
Glossary of Lay Terms for use in Consent FormsIRB Website
Diagnostic Use of Ionizing Radiation - Consent Form LanguageEH&S Website
Observation of the Consenting Process - ChecklistCHK-C15
Parental PermissionGUI-C34
Waiver/Alteration of Consent RequirementsGUI-C2
Research Surrogate Decision MakersGUI-32
Short Form Consent ProcessGUI-C39
Is a Pregnant Partner a Research Participant?GUI-C47
Data & Safety MonitoringData and Safety Monitoring - Guidance
DSM Plan - eProtocol Help & Hints
GUI-P20
DMSB in Phase I/II Cell and Gene Transfer Clinical TrialsAID-59
DSMP vs DSMBGUI-P46
Data ScrapingData ScrapingIRB Website
Data SecurityData Security - Secure Computing GuidelinesISO Website
Retention of and Access to Research DataResearch Policy Handbook
DevicesClinical Decision Support (CDS) Software – FDA GuidanceFDA
Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Software Determination Graphic – FDA GraphicFDA
Digital Health TechnologiesIRB Website
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Devices  - FDA Information SheetFDA
Significant Risk and Non-Significant Risk Medical Devices Studies - Stanford GuidanceGUI-7m
Significant Risk and Nonsignificant Risk Medical Device Studies - FDA Information SheetFDA
Special Considerations for the Oversight of Research Protocols in FDA-regulated Drug or Device StudiesGUI-26m
Sponsor-Investigator Research when the STANFORD Investigator holds the IDEGUI-5m
STANFORD investigator is the sponsor on a nonsignificant risk (NSR) device studyGUI-41m
DrugsGuidelines for Studies Involving Human Volunteers Receiving Potentially Addicting DrugsResearch Policy Handbook
Orphan DrugsFDA
Security and Controlled Access Plan for Investigational Drugs and Biologics Maintained and Controlled by a PDSMHC Policy
Supplement to Attachment B of the Security and Controlled Access Plan for
Investigational and Biologics Maintained and Controlled by a Protocol Director
SMHC Policy
SMHC Policy on Investigational Drugs and BiologicsSMCH Policy
Special Considerations for the Oversight of Research Protocols in FDA-regulated Drug or Device StudiesGUI-26m
Sponsor-Investigator Research when the STANFORD Investigator holds the INDGUI-3m
Emergency UseEmergency Use of a Test Article - Web PageIRB Website
Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs and DevicesExpanded Access ProgramIRB Website
Expanded Access to Drugs/BiologicsIRB Website
Expanded Access to DevicesIRB Website
Federal Agency Requirements
[DoD, DON, DOE, etc.]
Other Federal Agencies - Additional Requirements
   (DoD, DON, ED, DOE, DOJ, EPA, NSF, PHS)
GUI-42
DoD Reporting RequirementsGUI-46
VA - Reviewing VA ResearchAID-27m
Genomic Data Sharing
(NIH grant info)
NIH Genomic Data Sharing for NIH Grant SubmissionGUI-G01
FAQs for Genomic Data SharingIRB Website
HIPAAHIPAA and PHIGUI-3
HIPAA Privacy Policies at StanfordUniversity Privacy Office Website
Research Privacy OverviewPrivacy Office PPT presentation
Human Subject ResearchHuman Subject Research (HSR) Determination FormAPP-H8
Do I Need IRB Review?IRB Website
What Qualifies as Human Subject ResearchGUI-H12
Research Involving Private Information or Biospecimens: NIH InfographicNIH
Guidance, Coded Private Information or Specimens Use in Research (2008)OHRP
Determining When an Organization is EngagedAID-H15
Engagement of Institutions in Human Subjects ResearchOHRP
Quality Assessment & Quality Improvement (QA/QI)AID-H16
CA Laws/RegulationsAID-H18
Humanitarian UseHumanitarian Use DeviceGUI-36m
International ResearchInternational Compilation of Human Research Protections (OHRP) - laws, regulations, guidelines on human subjects research in over 100 countries; standards (international, regional)OHRP
Guide to Conducting Research in India
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)IRB Website
IRB ReviewCriteria for IRB Approval of ResearchGUI-40
Institutional and Ancillary ReviewsIRB Website
Exempt Review CategoriesGUI-4
Expedited Review CategoriesGUI-44
Obtaining Additional Expertise or an Expert ConsultantGUI-12
Guidelines for IRB Members on Conflicting InterestsGUI-I5
MTAMaterial Transfer AgreementsOTL
PaymentEthical ConsiderationsGUI-39
FDA info sheet: Payment and Reimbursement to Research SubjectsFDA
Stanford University Job Aid: Paying Human SubjectsAID-9
PrisonersCalifornia Penal Code: Section 3501 - 3523GUI-38
OHRP Guidance on Involvement of Prisoners in ResearchGUI-10
Protocol Director (PD)Protocol Director (PD) GuidelinesIRB Website
RadiationPreparing Research Proposals Involving Diagnostic Use of Ionizing RadiationEH&S Website
Use of Radiology Devices and Radioactive MaterialsEH&S Guidance
RecruitmentAdvertisements: Appropriate Language - Recruitment MaterialGUI-16
General guidance on participant recruitmentGUI-33
Use of Employees or Laboratory Personnel as Research SubjectsResearch Policy Handbook
Telephone Screening of Potential SubjectsGUI-15
Non-English Speaking Research ParticipantsGUI03H23
ReportingEvents and Information that Require Prompt Reporting to the IRBGUI-P13
Unanticipated Adverse Device Effect (UADE)GUI-P14
RiskSpecial Considerations about Risks in Behavioral and Social Sciences ResearchGUI-14n
SecurityData security - Secure Computing GuidelinesStanford ISO Website
Short Form
Consent
Short Form Consent Process - GuidanceGUI-C39
Short Form Consent Process - Web PageIRB Website
Single IRB (sIRB)Stanford required consent language for sIRBAID-C57
STANFORD SOPs FOR RELYING ON A SINGLE IRB (sIRB)GUI-H24
Sponsor-Investigator
Research (SIR)
Requirements for New, Continuing Review and Final ReportAID-23m
Requirements for Sponsor-Investigators who hold their own IND/IDE (Memo from Ann Arvin, MD)MEM-1m
When the STANFORD Investigator holds the IDEGUI-5m
When the STANFORD Investigator holds the INDGUI-3m
When the STANFORD Investigator is the sponsor on a nonsignificant risk (NSR) device studyGUI-41m
SIR Self-Assessment Checklist - IND/IDEAID-58m
StudentsSpecial Considerations about Risks in Behavioral and Social Sciences ResearchGUI-14n
Use of Human Subjects in Student Projects, Pilot Studies, Oral Histories and QA/QI ProjectsResearch Policy Handbook
Student Research ProjectsIRB Website
Study DesignEvaluating Sound Study DesignGUI-17
TerminologyClinical Trials TermsAID-20m
Tissue & SamplesData and Tissue RepositoriesGUI
Transplantation of Human Fetal TissueGUI-2m
TrainingTraining in the Protection of Human Subjects in ResearchResearch Policy Handbook
Veterans Affairs (VA) Research38 CFR 16Department of Veterans Affairs
Research Involving VA StudiesCHK-07
Reviewing Veterans Affairs (VA) ResearchAID-27m
VHA Directive 1058 Research Compliance Reporting RequirementsVHA
VHA Directive 1200.05 Requirements for the Protection of Human Subjects in ResearchVHA
VHA Program Guide 1200.21 VHA Operations Activities That May Constitute ResearchVHA
WaiversRegulations for Waiver or Alteration of Consent RequirementsGUI-C2
WomenResearch Involving Pregnant Women, Fetuses, and NeonatesGUI-8
Women as Subjects in ResearchResearch Policy Handbook