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.