What authority does the IRB have?
All research projects involving the use of human subjects or their data must be reviewed and approved before data collection may begin. The IRB may: § Approve, modify, or disapprove protocols based upon consideration of human participant protection § Require progress reports from investigators and oversee the conduct of the research § Place restrictions on the conduct of a study § Suspend or terminate a project § Review and oversee the actions of Local Review Boards. The IRB seldom disapproves research activities. Instead, the IRB strives to work with the researcher to assure excellent research design with minimized risk and maximized benefits to participants.
