Use of Human Subjects in Research  

Federalwide Assurance  

Federalwide Assurance for Protection of Human Subjects

The Stanford Federalwide Assurance (FWA) is a declaration by Stanford that commits you and all Stanford personnel to comply with policies for the protection of human subjects from the planning and proposal phases throughout the course of your projects.

The Stanford FWA sets standards that will enable you to meet both ethical and legal requirements. Failure to comply can delay research, harm subjects, and generate sanctions against a research investigator, a laboratory, or the entire University.

Upon completion of this section, you should be able to identify:

• Whether FWA policies for the protection of human subjects apply to your research.
  
  
• When IRB review and approval are required, and when they are not.
  
  
• What you are expected to do if your research involves human subjects, but you believe it is exempt from IRB review and approval.
  
  
• Steps you must take before you collaborate in research involving human subjects with investigators at other institutions.