Institutional Review Boards
What is the role of an IRB?
Key Points
- Institutional Review Boards/Committees are multidisciplinary teams established to review research proposals that involve human subjects, in order to protect human rights and promote ethical research conduct.
- IRBs/IRCs may approve, disapprove, or recommend modifications to research proposals to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to protect the research participants’ health, safety, and welfare.
Helpful Links, Videos and Online Courses
Overview
- Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and Protection of Human Subjects in Clinical Trials
- An overview of the IRB from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with links to other resources related to ethical research.
- Institutional Review Committee
- List of IRCs around Nepal, published by the Nepal Health Research Council.
- Guidelines for Writing Thesis/Research Proposal
- A guide to formatting and writing a research proposal/IRB from the National Academy of Medical Sciences in Nepal.
Videos
- Guiding Principles of Institutional Review Boards
- A 4-minute video describing the purpose of the IRB and how to put together a team.
- Institutional Review Board Webinar
- A longer and comprehensive webinar from the University of Texas Dallas that details the purpose of the IRB, aspects of ethical research, and how to get approval for a research study.
- How IRBs Protect Human Research Subjects
- 7-minute video from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that explains how IRBs protect the rights and health of human subjects in medical research.
Relevant Publications
- Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC). (2011). National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research in Nepal and Standard Operating Procedures. Kathmandu, Nepal.
