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Welcome to the Office of Grants Development and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Arkansas State University-Newport. Serving as a central administrative hub, our office supports ASUN™s mission to provide accessible, affordable, and innovative learning opportunities that transform lives and strengthen the regional economy.

We operate at the intersection of strategic resource acquisition and ethical research administration:

• Grants Development assists faculty, staff, and administrators in securing and stewarding external grant resources that advance institutional priorities, technical training, and regional partnerships.

• The Institutional Review Board (IRB) provides oversight for all research involving human subjects, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and safeguarding the rights, safety, and well-being of all participants.

 

Office of Grants Development

The Office of Grants Development ensures that external funding proposals align with ASUN™s mission and strategic goals, maintain fiscal responsibility, and adhere to institutional and federal guidelines.

Grant Development & Management

Pre-Award & Post-Award Framework

• Project Conceptualization: Assistance with aligning program goals with federal, state, and foundation grant priorities. The office helps to identify funding opportnities and proposal outlines.

• Budgeting & Fiscal Compliance: Collaboration with the Business Office to ensure accurate indirect cost rates, fringe calculations, and match requirements.

• Routing & Approvals: Formal institutional review ensuring endorsement by the Chief Academic Officer, Vice Chancellors, and Chancellor prior to submission.

• Post-Award Management: Assisting Project Directors with grant execution, performance reporting, compliance, and time-and-effort documentation.

  Explore Grants Resources

   

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The ASUN Institutional Review Board is registered with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). The Board operates under institutional Federalwide Assurance (FWA) and strictly adheres to the ethical principles outlined in The Belmont Report (1978).

Ethical Foundations: The Belmont Principles

Every human subjects research protocol submitted to the ASUN IRB is evaluated against three core principles:

1. Respect for Persons: Ensuring voluntary participation through informed consent and providing additional protections for autonomous-diminished populations.

2. Beneficence: Maximizing potential societal and educational benefits while minimizing physical, psychological, or privacy risks.

3. Justice: Ensuring fair, non-discriminatory selection of research participants without exploitation.

IRB Scope & Jurisdiction

IRB review is required for any systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge that involves living human subjects, where the study is:

• Conducted by ASUN faculty, staff, administrators, or students.

• Executed on ASUN property or utilizing ASUN internal, non-public data.

• Integrated into specialized grant-funded pathways or institutional initiatives

• Examples of recently active research initiatives: Prison Education Research Initiative between the ASUN Prison Education Program and University of Utah or the Creating Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program - CAMPP, which is an NSF-funded opportunity led by ASUN faculty and staff.

IRB Protocols, Handbook & Submissions

1. Mandatory Training Certification

All Principal Investigators (PIs), co-investigators, and key project personnel must complete the mandatory ethics training via the CITI Program prior to submitting a protocol. Certificates remain valid for three (3) years. Reach out to discover if alternative training opportunities are available through ASUN.

2. Submission Categories

• Exempt Review: Minimal-risk research fitting specific federal categories (e.g., anonymous educational surveys, standard instructional practices).

• Expedited Review: Research involving no more than minimal risk, reviewed by the IRB Chair or designated committee member on a rolling basis.

• Full Board Review: Research involving more than minimal risk, vulnerable populations (such as incarcerated individuals or minors), or sensitive data.

3. Institutional Review Board Handbook

The ASUN IRB handles ethical review and compliance monitoring for research conducted by ASUN personnel or involving ASUN students, staff, and community initiatives.For detailed operational guidelines, submission templates, and decision flowcharts, download the complete handbook.