Human Subjects Review Council
Informed Consent
Guidelines, Templates, & Resources
Below, you will find informed consent templates that contain all the necessary elements required by the federal regulations as well as other information related to informed consent.
-
Elements of Informed Consent
Required Elements
- A statement that the study involves research
- An explanation of the purposes of the research
- The expected duration of the subject's participation
- A description of the procedures to be followed
- Identification of any procedures which are experimental
- A description of any reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts to the subject
- A description of any benefits to the subject or to others which may reasonably be expected from the research
- A disclosure of appropriate alternative procedures or courses of treatment, if any, that might be advantageous to the subject
- A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the subject will be maintained
- For research involving more than minimal risk, an explanation as to whether any compensation, and an explanation as to whether any medical treatments are available, if injury occurs and, if so, what they consist of, or where further information may be obtained
- Research, Rights or Injury: An explanation of whom to contact for answers to pertinent questions about the research and research subjects' rights, and whom to contact in the event of a research-related injury to the subject
- A statement that participation is voluntary, refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled, and the subject may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits, to which the subject is otherwise entitled
Additional Elements as Appropriate
- A statement that the particular treatment or procedure may involve risks to the subject (or to the embryo or fetus, if the subject is or may become pregnant), which are currently unforeseeable
- Anticipated circumstances under which the subject's participation may be terminated by the investigator without regard to the subject's consent
- Any additional costs to the subject that may result from participation in the research
- The consequences of a subject's decision to withdraw from the research and procedures for orderly termination of participation by the subject
- A statement that significant new findings developed during the course of the research, which may relate to the subject's willingness to continue participation, will be provided to the subject
- The approximate number of subjects involved in the study
-
Reading Level and Comprehension
Consent forms should be written using simple language, preferably in an 8th grade reading level. However, age and cognition level of subjects should be considered.
- To check the reading level of your document, click here for instructions.
-
Templates
Please remember that these templates should be individualized for your study.
General Informed Consent Template
Health Sciences Templates
- General Health Science Informed Consent Template
- General Health Science Informed Consent Template with Addendum
Additional Templates
- Web Surveys & Focus Groups Informed Consent Template
- Low Risk Interviews with Adults Informed Consent Template
- Adult Classroom Observations and Interviews Informed Consent Template
Parent Permissions and Assent Templates
-
Resources
Questions? Contact the Research Compliance Administrator or check out the resources below from the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).
Guide for Informed Consent for Non-English Speaking Participants
CWU News
Summer CSA program provides fresh food, fresh opportunities to CWU community
September 9, 2026 by Tran Nha Pham
CWU professor elected to serve on ethics organization board
September 9, 2026 by David Leder