The National Research Act, Public Law 93-348, mandates that an institutional review board (IRB), or human subjects committee, must be established by any university that receives federal funding for biomedical or behavioral research. Institutions found to be in non-compliance with regulations can lose federal funding of both its research and student programs. In its broadest sense the purpose of the IRB is to protect the rights and safety of human subjects. In fulfilling its task the IRB must carefully examine research proposals to arrive at an independent determination that the research will meet the following ethical criteria:
- Risks to subjects are minimized.
- Risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits.
- Selection of subjects is equitable.
- Informed consent is sought from each prospective subject or the subject's legally authorized representative.
- Informed consent is appropriately documented.
- When appropriate, the research plan makes adequate provision for monitoring the data collected, to ensure the safety of subjects.
- When appropriate, there are adequate provisions to protect the privacy of subjects, and to maintain the confidentiality of data.
- Additional safeguards are included to insure that members of vulnerable populations (e.g., children, prisoners, pregnant women, mentally disabled persons, or economically or educationally disadvantaged persons) are not the subject of coercion or undue influence.
Application Materials
Applications submitted after the final submission date won't be reviewed until the first IRB meeting of the next academic year. Stay tuned for meeting dates for the next academic year!
Meetings and Application Materials Due Dates
GRCC's IRB committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month, October through May. Application materials are due by the 25th of the month preceding each meeting in order to be considered. The table below specifies the IRB committee meeting date, and the due date for application materials to be reviewed during that meeting.
| Application Due | Committee Meeting | Status |
|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2022 | October 12, 2022 | Held, hybrid format |
| October 25, 2022 | November 9, 2022 | Cancelled |
| November 25, 2022 | December 14, 2022 | Cancelled |
| December 25, 2022 | January 11, 2023 | Cancelled |
| January 25, 2023 | February 8, 2023 | Cancelled |
| February 25, 2023 | March 15, 2023 | Cancelled |
| March 25, 2023 | April 12, 2023 | Held, virtual format |
| April 25, 2023 | May 10, 2023 |
IRB Composition
Each IRB is required to have at least 5 members with sufficient diversity with respect to gender, race, cultural background, and professional expertise. Each IRB must include members whose primary concerns are in scientific areas and in nonscientific areas and at least one member not affiliated with the institution. The diversity of IRB membership should enable it to assess the ethical acceptability of a research proposal with respect to its:
- Scientific merit
- Sensitivity to community attitudes
- Safeguarding of research participants rights and welfare
- Institutional commitments and obligations
- Applicable law (risk management)
- Standards of professional conduct and practice
2021-22 Members
- Kevin Dobreff, co-chair
- Amanda Kruzona, co-chair
- Werner Absenger
- Jennifer Borrello
- Lakisha Beck
- Lisa Dopke
- Cheryl Endres
- Dan Groh
- Kristi Haik
- Daisy Henderson
- Tim Hoving
- Nathaniel Lloyd
- Sophie Rubin
- Cedric Williams
Contact
To submit IRB documents and supporting materials, or if you have questions about the IRB process, please email institutionalreviewboard@grcc.edu.