Support Page Content
Human Subjects Research
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews human subjects research conducted by Sacramento State researchers to ensure appropriate participant protections.
IRB Steps
- Complete training in CITI
- Request access to Cayuse
- Submit Application in Cayuse
- IRB Review & Approval
- Begin Research

Do I need IRB review?
There are many activities that are not "research" and many research projects in which humans are not the subject. Use this decision tree to determine if your activity requires IRB review.
Training
Human Subjects Research training certification must be current upon IRB application submission.
Identify one course from the below options that describes your discipline or role as a researcher and use the registration guide below:
- Biomedical (faculty, doctoral students, staff, admin)
- Social-Behavioral-Educational (faculty, doctoral students, staff, admin)
- Undergraduate and Masters Students (undergrads and master's students)
Please note: all other course offerings in CITI are not required for IRB review.
Masters Students & Undergrads
If your department or college is listed below, you will NOT submit to the IRB through Cayuse, you will submit to your own "research review committee."
Please email the listed contact(s) for submission instructions:
Social Work
College of Education (all departments)
Cayuse Access Request
First Time Cayuse Users
For access to Cayuse, email irb@csus.edu with the below information:
- Campus ID number (9-digits),
- CSUS email address, and
- Campus Department.
- Please feel free to provide a preferred name.
Access should be available within 1 working day.
Submit in Cayuse
Submission guides, the application question guide, and the Cayuse quick link is available in the Cayuse IRB Library.
All guidance is located on SharePoint and is only accessible to Sac State affiliates that are logged into Microsoft 365.
Cayuse IRB Library
Cayuse access updates!
Resources
The IRB provides guidance on various research-specific situations.
All guidance is located on SharePoint and is only accessible to Sac State affiliates that are logged into Microsoft 365.
Informed Consent Form Templates
Classroom Projects
Students required to complete a research project as part of a course requirement (except for theses/dissertations) within the semester are fully under the supervision of their professor and do not require IRB review. Faculty are encouraged to use the Student Form when research is about human subjects and require students to submit these forms for faculty review prior to research commencing. The absence of IRB review does not mean an absence of research ethics.
Cooperative Research
Cooperative Research Agreements should only be considered when a Sacramento State affiliate will be working with an external investigator to conduct research. These agreements should only be entered when both campuses are:
- Collecting informed consent,
- Collecting data (identifiable or not), and/or
- Analyzing identifiable data.
This agreement involves the cooperation of both campuses, and administrators of both IRBs must be included in the communication and routing of this form.
External Investigators
If you are not affiliated with Sacramento State and would like to enroll participants from our campus, please email your IRB approval letter and approved informed consent form(s).