Exempt Review Committee

Exempt is a classification of human research review. While exempted projects are not subject to federal human research regulations, they are subject to state and local laws, institutional policies, and ethical considerations. Thus, review must be performed to ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are protected. Review is is conducted by trained individuals, the Exempt Review Committee (ERC), rather than the IRB. The ERC makes the final determination about exemption eligibility.

ERC review must be sought, and approval achieved, prior to initiation of any research activities.

There are eight exemption categories available under the regulations. Our ERC has not implemented "limited IRB review" or categories seven and eight at this time.

OHRP's Understanding Exemption Categories Video

IRB/ERC Forms & Templates

Forms and templates are available on IRBNet.org