INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB)
Overview
The Institutional Review Board consists of a committee established to advocate for the protection of the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research.
Review and approval is required for all research involving human participants conducted by the University of Central Florida (UCF). Approval must be obtained prior to including human participants in an investigation. IRB Policy defines in detail the operations of the Institutional Review Board, its scope of authority, and the requirements for human subjects research conducted by or in collaboration with the UCF.
The IRB evaluates proposals for new research and conducts review of on-going research to ensure that the Guiding Ethical Principles for human subject protection are met. When reviewing research, the IRB considers issues such as the process for recruitment, selection and informed consent of prospective research participants; assessment of the risks and potential benefits to participants and the measures for participant safety; what additional safeguards are needed if vulnerable populations are included; and what methods are provided for protecting participants’ privacy and maintaining confidentiality. For on-going research, the IRB also evaluates proposed amendments to modify research, safety reports, periodic reports on the progress of research and requests for reapproval to continue research.
The IRB Membership includes experts in science, medicine, and participant advocates, including representatives from the community, in order to provide the diverse perspectives needed to conduct a thorough review of research.
The IRB’s compliance with regulatory requirements and various human subject protection standards, including membership representation, is outlined in the IRB Assurance and Membership Representation. UCF has completed assurance agreements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Research Protection, to describe the institutions’ human subjects program and assure compliance with federal regulations for human subject protection.
Guiding Ethical Principles
When reviewing research IRBs are guided by three ethical principles that are fundamental to human subject protection – respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.
Respect for persons: Addresses the personal dignity and autonomy of individuals, and the importance of proper informed consent for individuals participating in research.
Beneficence: Addresses the obligation to protect human subjects from harm by assessing the risks and benefits of the research and assuring that the anticipated benefits are greater than the anticipated risks.
Justice: Requires that research subjects are fairly selected with regard to the purpose and expected outcome of the research, including consideration of the subject as an individual and as a member of society. The population of research subjects should be similar to those who may benefit from the outcome of the research.
These ethical principles, are discussed in the Belmont Report, and form the basis for the regulatory standards for human subject protection in the United States. The U.S. federal regulations are found in 45 CFR 46 Protection of Human Subjects. In addition, these principles are also incorporated in international guidance for ethical and scientific quality standards, Guideline for Good Clinical Practice.
IRB Assurance
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Central Florida is organized and operates in compliance with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and Food & Drug Administration regulations for the protection of human subjects, State of Florida law, and the University of Central Florida policies for the conduct of human subject research. The institution holds a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) from the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), under DHHS, and are registered as follows:
University of Central Florida Federalwide Assurance (FWA)
FWA00000351 – Expiration 7/6/2026
IORG0000781 – Expiration 8/13/2024
IRB#1 IRB00001138, IRB#2 IRB00012110
IRB Board Members
The IRB comply with membership requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46 and 21 CFR 56), follow written policies and procedures for operation, and maintain detailed documentation for the review of all research projects. IRB policy excludes individuals with a conflict of interest from participating in the review of a project.
Meet Our Full Board Members
IRB #1
IRB #1 Chair |
IRB #1 Vice Chair |
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IRB #2
IRB #2 Chair |
IRB #2 Vice Chair |
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Meet Our Alternate Members
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Office of Animal Welfare (IACUC)
Export Compliance (EC)
Research Integrity
Financial Compliance