The REB mission, as described in federal law, is to protect human beings who participate in research studies. By NSU policy, any study employing human participants (called “human subjects”) must be approved by the NSU REB before the study may begin—including research using “secondary data,” which is data collected previously from human subjects.

REB Process

The NSU REB review process requires assigning a “Review Type” to each application. A “review type” is a method for systematically reviewing the specific study design. Review Types are required under the federal rules for REBs.

The NSU REB uses five different review types:

Not-Human Subjects Research (or “NHSR”)
Quality Improvement (or “QI”)
Exempt
Expedited
Full Board

In the Pre-Protocol Survey, the researcher must request one of the five review types. For more information on Review Types, see this NSU REB YouTube video: “Review Types: First Step to Approval.” Use the video to help determine which Review Type is appropriate for your study.

IMPORTANT: The NSU REB recommends submitting all NSU REB research applications, including supplemental documents, at least six weeks before the proposed research start date. The typical timeframe for the NSU REB to complete a study review–in each Review Type–is as follows (in business days; does not include weekends or official university holidays):

–NHSR or QI = 3-5 days;
–Exempt = 6-10 days;
–Expedited = 11-20 days;
–Full Board = 21-40 days.

Policies and Procedures

The application process consists of several steps. NSU researchers are required to follow each step to obtain approval from the REB to conduct a study. The steps are outlined in the NSU REB Researcher Handbook (see the “Resources” section below).

There are several types of NSU REB application forms, each tailored for a specific type of study. However, all forms have the same basic parts:

Pre-Protocol Survey: Used to determine the specific application form for a specific study.
Protocol Page: Background information, including the study title, the researcher’s name and university status (student, faculty, or staff), and some basic study details, such as the proposed start and end dates.
Application Sections: Detailed questions about the study design.
Supplemental Documents: Many REB applications require additional information that is not provided in the Application form. These “supplemental documents” may include recruiting scripts, surveys or other data collection methods, site approval letters/forms, informed consent or child assent forms, and/or other documents, depending on the study design. (See this NSU REB YouTube video for more information: “What are Supplemental Documents?”)

NOTE: All parts of the application must be completed to qualify for review by the NSU REB.

All NSU researchers who plan studies employing human subjects must complete the NSU REB-required training certificates. The training is provided by CITIprogram.org. The specific certificates required are detailed in the NSU REB Training Policy (see the “NSU REB Researcher Handbook”; a current copy is available on our “Resources” page).

NOTE: The NSU REB also has a YouTube channel with instructional videos on various topics in human subjects research. The videos are available on the NSU REB YouTube Channel homepage.

The NSU REB follows the 2018 revisions to the federal government regulations–called the “Common Rule”–that govern all U.S. REBs. The complete text of the Common Rule (formally called 45 CFR 46) is located on a webpage at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Questions and Answers

NSU students sit on a bench outside Russell Hall

The Mentor System

The NSU REB has an online REB application and review system, called Mentor. All REB applications must be written in and submitted to Mentor (paper and email applications will not be accepted).

Logging in to Mentor: The system uses Single Sign-on (SSO) to manage user access. First, log in to the NSU computer network using your NSU email credentials. Then, use the following link to automatically log in and view your Mentor account homepage.

A group of NSU students gather on a sidewalk on campus

Members, Officers, and Resources

NOTE: First-time users of the NSU REB system should FIRST review our “Q & A” page.

The NSU REB has 20 current faculty, staff, student, and community members, chosen for their expertise in various academic disciplines and research traditions. The NSU REB Office has a full-time Director/Chair and a half-time Graduate Assistant available during business hours (see the Office contact information in the left-side menu on this page).

NOTE: The NSU REB Graduate Assistant position is currently closed for the 2025-26 academic year.

The NSU REB also maintains a number of publications and other resources for researchers and REB members. For more information, see our “Resources” page (below).