Faculty Advisor Responsibilities

Doctoral and master’s students and postdoctoral scholars who wish to conduct Human Subjects Research (HSR) at CUNY SPH must work with a Faculty Advisor (FA) (i.e., designated academic FA, Fieldwork Director, Doctoral Dissertation Chair). FAs are responsible for monitoring the progress and ethical conduct of student and postdoctoral research at CUNY SPH, as well as ensuring that the research is being conducted in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and CUNY policies. FAs should familiarize themselves with the CUNY Central HRPP Policy on Faculty Advisor Responsibilities.

Per CUNY policy, students and postdoctoral scholars may serve as PIs on IRB applications ONLY with the supervision and permission of their FA. If a student investigator is the designated project PI, the FA must be listed in the IRB application. A FA should be closely involved in a student’s IRB application development to ensure it is being completed accurately and appropriately before submission for HRPP/IRB review. The FA and the PI are both responsible for compliance with applicable HSR regulations and CUNY IRB stipulations.