Each Wednesday, UNMC Today features an informational article about changes affecting UNMC’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the research community. Today’s topic will cover the requirement for scientific, scholarly merit, and resource review certification on all IRB applications.
Why is there a requirement for “scientific, scholarly merit, and resource review certification” in the IRB applications?
Federal regulations state that the IRB is responsible for determining that risks to subjects are minimized by using procedures based on sound research design, the risks are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefit, and the knowledge gained by the research is important. The IRB accreditation application also carries this requirement.
To meet these requirements the IRB has determined the chairperson, authorized delegate, or appointed review committee of the principal investigator’s school, department or division is responsible for providing this review for all new research proposals. This process should have the added benefit of providing the chairperson (and others) knowledge of potential controversial issues, facilities and equipment use, and the general direction of department research.
What happens if my application does not have the certification signature?
The application is considered incomplete and will be returned to the Principal Investigator without IRB review.