Reporting a Human Subjects Research related Concern

No person reporting human subjects research concern in good faith will be subject to retaliation according University of Iowa Operations Manual's Anti-Retaliation Policy.

The mission of the University of Iowa Institutional Review Boards is to assure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are adequately protected in research.  If you have a concern regarding human subjects research at the University of Iowa, there are several methods or reporting available. 

If the event requires immediate medical assistance or if you have a concern for your safety or security, call 911.

If this is a question or concern related to your IRB application, please contact the Human Subjects Office mainline at (319) 335-6564 or irb@uiowa.edu.

You may report your concern(s) by any of the following method(s):

  1. Call the Human Subjects Office mainline (319) 335-6564 and indicate you would like to report a complaint or concern.  Your call will routed to Compliance staff.

  2. E-mail irb@uiowa.edu

  3. Address a campus envelope to the IRB Compliance Program, "Confidential", 105 HLHS (Hardin Library for the Health Sciences).

  4. Complete an online report by clicking here. 

  5. If you prefer to report your concern directly to the Office of the Vice President for Research rather than to the Human Subjects Office, please contact Jennifer Lassner, Senior Assistant Vice President for Research (319) 335-3710 or jennifer-lassner@uiowa.edu.

We prefer you identify yourself so we can contact if we need additional information. Also, if we know your identity, we can provide feedback about the resolution of the issue. Your confidentiality will be protected, to the extent that it is legally possible to do so and consistent with resolution of the concern.  However you do have the option to report anonymously.  All concerns are investigated by the IRB Compliance Program with reporting to IRB leadership and the Institutional Official. 

Please provide as much detail as possible to allow the Compliance team to fully investigate the concern.

  • Description of the incident, activity, or concern
  • Whether you witnessed the incident or activity first hand
  • Date of incident, activity, or concern
  • Location of the incident or activity
  • Names of people involved in the incident or activity (if known)
  • Whether you have reported this incident or activity to anyone else, and if so, what action was taken