The Institutional Review Board (IRB), the formally designated UMBC committee to approve, monitor, and review research involving humans, is actively seeking faculty to serve on the IRB as members.
Members serve on the IRB for a three (3) year renewable appointment where they review research protocols, attend meetings, and discuss issues with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects. Members have expertise in different areas to ensure that research protocols are evaluated fairly by knowledgeable individuals.
IRB member responsibilities
- Reviewing research study proposals and consent documents and evaluating them from the perspective of the federal human research regulatory criteria as well as other relevant ethical, scientific or compliance considerations.
- Evaluating the risk level (i.e., minimal or greater than minimal) of proposed research.
- Determining a protocol’s full approval, approval subject to modification(s), reconsideration, or disapproval of the human subject research.
- Reviewing and evaluating research studies subject to IRB continuation approval
- Participating in IRB deliberations concerning issues inherent to human research studies and recommending improvements to IRB procedures to enhance UMBC’s IRB review process and/or human subject protections.
- Attending IRB meetings
Time requirement
The board typically meets five (5) times during the academic year: October, December, February, April and June. Meetings are on Mondays from 10 am-12 pm.
Most of the protocols we receive are eligible for expedited review; members review on the average 15-20 new and/or continuing protocols each academic year. Occasionally the IRB reviews a protocol in need of a full review.
Please contact Tim Sparklin, Office for Research Protections and Compliance (ORPC) or Susan Sonnenschein (IRB Chair) if you are interested in becoming a member by May 31, 2014. We are anticipating the member appointment beginning in July 2014. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to the OPRC at compliance@umbc.edu.
Additional information about the IRB may be found at http://my.umbc.edu/groups/compliance/documents/165
