Environmental Tectonics Corporation IRB Gets Confirmation from NASA Langley IRB
- Press Release -
Southampton, PA. May 20, 2009. Environmental Tectonics Corporation (NYSE AMEX LLC: ETC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) announced that on March 6, 2009, following two days of review, ETC received confirmation of acceptance of the ETC Institutional Review Board (IRB) proceedings from the NASA Langley IRB.
This approval demonstrates ETC’s and its NASTAR Center’s capability to conduct research in a manner consistent with Federal procedures and regulations regarding human subjects.
In efforts to complete an aircraft Upset Recovery research project funded by NASA Langley and to mature research processes as a whole, ETC entered into a grant agreement that required review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). ETC elected to form and go through the process to certify an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The function of the IRB is to ensure that The NASTARSM Center protects the safety, health, privacy, and welfare of human subjects who participate in The NASTARSM Center research projects in accordance with the regulations and policies prescribed by the Code of Federal Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects and NASA Policy Directives for the Protection of Human Research Subjects. ETC was required to go through a formal application process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to conduct training of the IRB members to certify the IRB. IRB review is required for research that involves participation by human subjects.
On February 16th, 2009 the ETC IRB officially convened to approve the Upset Recovery research to be conducted under the grant funded by NASA Langley. The IRB approved all aspects of the experiment. The grant also required that any ETC IRB proceedings also be approved by the NASA Langley IRB. ETC received confirmation of acceptance of IRB proceedings following only two days of review. This demonstrated ETC and The NASTAR Center’s capability not only to conduct research but to do so in a manner consistent with Federal procedures and regulations regarding human subjects. In addition, future customers now have the option of having their research approved at ETC rather than going through the process of convening their own costly IRB process.
William F. Mitchell, ETC’s President and Chairman, stated, “The accepted findings of ETC’s IRB are an important step in establishing The NASTARSM Center as a world class training and research facility.”
