Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An IRB is a committee that reviews and approves research studies involving human participants to ensure their rights, safety, and well-being are protected.

Mandate

An IRB’s primary responsibility is to guarantee that research involving human subjects adheres to established ethical standards and complies with relevant regulations, policies, and guidelines.

Composition

IRBs typically consist of a diverse panel of experts, including researchers, healthcare professionals, ethicists, and community members, who collectively evaluate research proposals.

Review Process

The IRB carefully evaluates research protocols, informed consent procedures, data collection methods, and privacy protection measures to determine if they are scientifically sound and ethically acceptable.

Types of Review

IRBs conduct different levels of review depending on the risk levels associated with the study: exempt review, expedited review, and full board review.

Responsibilities

IRBs are responsible for approving, modifying, or disapproving research protocols, monitoring ongoing studies, ensuring participant confidentiality, and conducting regular reviews of approved projects.

Benefits

Through its careful oversight, an IRB helps protect participants from potential harm, ensures the reliability of research results, and upholds public trust in the scientific community.