Committee on Human Subjects in Research (CHSR)

Background Information

The Lebanese American University (LAU) established in 2008, as part of its educational and research mandate, the Committee on Human Subjects in Research (CHSR). The responsibility of this committee is to review and approve research projects involving human subjects conducted at LAU and the University Medical Center – Rizk Hospital (UMCRH).

Mission

The primary objective of the CHSR is to ensure that the proposed research conducted under its auspices encompasses the ethical principles of the Belmont Report and the protections provided by the regulations and guidelines governing research. The CHSR’s mission ensures that the rights, safety and welfare of human participants in research are protected.

Role and Responsibility of the CHSR

The membership of the CHSR is constituted in accordance with the US Code of Federal Regulation 45CFR 46.107, 21CFR 56.107, and Good Clinical Practice ICH Section 3. The committee is composed of members that collectively have the experience and training to review research involving human subjects. The committee has a minimum of 5 members at all times with at least one member whose primary concern is non-scientific and one member not affiliated with LAU or its affiliates. In addition, the CHSR has administrative staff that manages its daily activities and maintains all study documentation.

The CHSR has the responsibility to review and the authority to approve, require modification or disapprove research involving human participants conducted by faculty, staff, students at LAU and/or its affiliates. It is also responsible for monitoring and continuously reviewing such research at intervals of at least once per year.