Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Graduate Student Handbook

Located at 526 Brodhead Avenue, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (Phone 610-758-3021, email: inors@lehigh.edu) is responsible for assisting the faculty in the preparation of proposals; preparing and administering contracts, grants, and agreements; serving as a liaison between faculty and contracting agencies and companies; working with faculty in patent and copyright matters; reviewing liaison agreements; and monitoring institutional compliance with sponsor policies for fiscal integrity on all research contracts, grants, and agreements received by the university.  The office is also charged with overseeing ethical aspects of research, as outlined below.  See their website for a more complete listing: https://research.cc.lehigh.edu/office-research-and-sponsored-programs  

Protection of Human Subjects in Research

The university's basic policy places the primary responsibility for the protection of the welfare and the right of privacy of the individual subject on the principal investigator.  The responsibility is shared by the university as an institution and, where outside support is provided, by the sponsoring agency.

All research and experimental activities in which people participate as subjects must be approved by Lehigh University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the involvement of the subjects.  This applies to sponsored and unsponsored research, continuing education courses, and instructional projects and activities conducted by university students, staff, and faculty.

All reviews of research projects involve use of IRBNet.org. Graduate students must submit their proposed projects for IRB review online.  Visit http://research.cc.lehigh.edu/irb to learn how to use this system. The review process begins when your project is submitted electronically, provided you have supplied all the required information.  The IRB meets on the second Tuesday of each month (except March 1st, Tuesday).  All information should be submitted at least two weeks in advance of each meeting (although one month or more in advance is optimal).

Intellectual Property

Any member of the university faculty, staff, or student body who develops or conceives of a patentable or copyrightable property while employed at Lehigh as a direct result of regular university duties, or of using university facilities, must disclose that property to the university through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.  The appropriate procedure is outlined in Rules and Procedures of the Faculty, section 5.3.8.