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Institutional Review Board (IRB) Oversight in Human Subjects Research

Feedback Week 9 Diss DDHA 8600 Hi xxx, The IRB has the power to approve, require modifications to (in order to secure approval), or disapprove human subjects research. An IRB must review and approve all research involving humans before the study begins. An IRB may not review projects retrospectively. This includes proposed research involving previously collected human fluid and tissue samples and existing data, as well as advertising and recruitment procedures. In order to approve research, an IRB must determine that risks to subjects are minimized and reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits, selection of subjects is equitable, subjects are adequately consented, data are appropriately monitored, the privacy of subjects i maintained and the resulting data kept confidential, and vulnerable subjects are protected [3]. In short, the objective of an IRB is to ensure, both in advance and by periodic review and monitoring, that the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in a research study are protected. To accomplish this goal, IRBs meet to assess research protocols and their associated materials (e.g., informed consent documents and advertisements). IRB oversight is complex and includes several activities with numerous levels of IRB review and supervision. (Parker, 2016) Reference Parker, G. (2016). A Framework for Navigating Institutional Review Board (IRB) Oversight in the Complicated Zone of Research. Cureus, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.844 Hi XXX, An organization is considered engaged in human research when its employees or agents, for the purposes of the research project obtain 1) data about the subjects of the research through intervention or interaction with them; 2) identifiable private information about the subjects of the research; 3) informed consent of human subjects for the research; OR 4) a direct federal award to conduct human subject research, even when all activities involving human subjects are carried out by subcontractors (i.e. employees or agents of another organization). HI XXX, It is common for investigators from two or more institutions to partner to conduct human subjects research or be involved in multi-site research studies. To conserve resources and enhance and streamline the institutional review board (IRB) review process when such collaborations occur, regulations allow institutions to "enter into a joint review arrangement, rely upon the review of another qualified IRB, or make similar arrangements for avoiding duplication of effort" (45 CFR 46.114). In other words, regulations allow research partners to agree to rely on a single IRB for review and approval of their non-Exempt study