Institutional Review Board: IRB Charge

 The University of Portland Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) serves as a safeguard to address the rights of participants in human subjects research undertaken with or by members of the University of Portland community. Although the primary responsibility for treating research participants in an ethical and responsible manner lies with the principal investigator (in the case of students this is the faculty advisor), the Human Subjects IRB is responsible for considering whether research is undertaken in compliance with relevant guidelines defined by the United States government’s Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).[1]. The University of Portland Human Subjects IRB approaches compliance with a recognition that human subjects research constitutes a broad and diverse range of activities, and thus the committee’s interpretation of guidelines requires some dialogue with the accepted practices and ethics of distinct disciplines and epistemologies.   

While research dealing with human subjects occasionally raises questions beyond the protection of human subjects (such as questions related to the quality of research design, legality, the University mission, the safety of researchers, and professional ethics) the University of Portland Human Subjects IRB is a group of scholars charged with questions about the protection of human subjects as related to the foreseeable risks and benefits for participants of research activities. If researchers have questions about other research issues individual members of the Human Subjects IRB may provide consultation as professional colleagues, but the Human Subjects IRB as a University of Portland committee is not responsible for enforcing professional standards beyond the protection of human subjects. All researchers should, however, recognize that undertaking human subjects research at the University of Portland is subject to the same responsibilities as all professional endeavors.