To support research activities and ensure a safe research environment, Middlebury adheres to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and responsibility.

Research compliance is the coordination and monitoring of Middlebury’s research programs to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, statutes, and institutional policies. We do this through compliance committees, reports to federal agencies, and training programs.

Our compliance committees include faculty, staff, and community members, and we thoroughly review all research conducted with vertebrate animals, human subjects, and recombinant DNA.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is mandated by U.S. federal law to oversee and evaluate all aspects of Middlebury College’s animal care and use program. The IACUC is committed to assisting faculty, students and staff in upholding the college’s commitment to the finest care and most humane utilization of animals and to enabling meaningful scientific research and teaching.

Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for overseeing research projects conducted at Middlebury that involve recombinant DNA (rDNA) and other biohazards. The IBC’s primary objective is to safeguard all members of the College community, visitors to the College, the general public, and the environment.

Institutional Review Board

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversees all research involving human subjects to ensure the rights and welfare of participants.

The following requires IRB approval before you start your research:

  • Any original research with human subjects conducted by Middlebury faculty, staff, or students
  • Human subject = a living person about whom a researcher obtains either personal data through intervention with the individual OR through private information.

Review the steps provided on the website to better understand the IRB process.