Protection of Human Subjects Student Investigators Guide The Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) has put together a guide to introduce students to the process of submitting an application to CPHS, UC Berkeley’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), including key information and associated content links to other areas of the CPHS website. The Office for Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) is the administrative office that supports the CPHS. The OPHS staff team consists of friendly, knowledgeable professionals who are ready to assist you with human subjects research-related questions and concerns.