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Mission

The mission of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to protect the rights and welfare of subjects involved in human subject research conducted or supported by the University. 

To achieve our Vision, we will initially focus our activities on providing timely turnaround times for protocol review; provide high quality guidance to Investigators for protocol submission requirements; a user-friendly interface for the electronic submission system (eRA).

To achieve this Mission, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ IRB will:

• conduct reviews compliant with applicable regulations
• provide quick turnaround times for protocol reviews when possible
• assist Investigators with meeting protocol submission requirements by providing step-by-step guidance on accessible IRB webpages 

What is the IRB?

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at CU Boulder is responsible for the review of all human subject research when conducted by the university's faculty, staff, students or other affiliates and agents. The primary goal is to ensure human subjects are:

• Treated with dignity
• Adequately protected from risk of harm
• Provided informed consent so they may voluntarily and knowledgeably participate in research

The IRB collaborates with the research community at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ to ensure all research with human subjects is conducted in accordance with ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ policies, federal regulations and the ethical principles of Respect for Persons, Beneficence and Justice. These principles require balancing the risks to subjects with the potential benefits to the subjects, the scientific community, and society. 

What is the IRB's Regulatory Authority?

The IRB follows the ethical principles found in the Belmont Report and is governed by the federal regulations in 45 CFR 46 dictating the scope and purpose of IRB activities.

The Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) is the federal administrative agency that monitors the IRB and its activities. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also protects human research subjects through its investigational device and drug regulations.

Both the OHRP and the FDA monitor human subject protections through educational efforts, site visits, and reporting requirements. Both have the authority to suspend research for failure to adhere to the regulations.

Who serves on the IRB?

At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ, the IRB has two panels:

• Panel 1 (Social & Behavioral Research)
• Panel 2 (Biomedical Research)

Each panel consists primarily of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ faculty whose expertise includes the types of research the panel reviews. In addition, each panel has at least one non-scientific member and one non-affiliated member whose roles are to represent the views of non-researchers, the community, and specialties.

What is the IRB's affiliate position within CU?

CU's IRB is part of the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), which is a unit within the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).