1. IRB Review and Approval of Community Based Research
University of Alabama
Office for Research Compliance (ORC)

2. I’m convinced the IRB is CRAZY
I’m convinced the IRB is CRAZY! OR Has anyone ever received approval for a CBR project?

3. Overview Definition and Purpose of the IRB CBR IRB Challenges
Steps Before Submitting the IRB Application
Application Guidance
Ways to Submit the Application to the ORC
The Application Review Process
Continuing Review
Tips for Easing the Review Process
CRB IRB Opportunities
Question and Answer

4. What is the “IRB” “IRB” is short for “Institutional Review Board”
The IRB is a University Committee that reviews, approves, and monitors human subjects research
The existence of the IRB is required by the federal government because UA receives federal research money

5. Purposes of the IRB
To protect the health, welfare and rights of HUMAN research participants
To review and approve all UA research with human participants
To monitor ethical conduct of research
To educate the UA community as well as the outside community about ethical research and research rights

6. Community Based Research and the IRB
Challenges
Lack of understanding of CBR.
Accessibility of IRB.
Current Regulations do not fully address CBR.
More likely that ethical considerations will evolve during project
Requires the ability to deal with unexpected issues as they arise.
Researchers conducting CBR may be unfamiliar with how to meet IRB requirements.
Ethical issues in CBR are active and on going as research continues.
Current IRB reviews are not set up to deal with ongoing ethical issues.
Risk and Benefits of CBR project needs to be weighed by the entire community. Typical IRB review includes risk/benefit ratio assessment.

7. Steps Before Submitting the IRB Application
Develop an Idea about the Research
Consider:
The topic to research
Will this involve human subjects as participants
Time from conception of the idea to a written draft

8. Steps Before Submission continued
Visit the IRB web site for guidance on what information you need to provide the ORC
Basic Information Needed Includes:
Study Description & Background Information
Human Subjects Training Certificate
Copies of Study Stimulus (survey instruments, video stimulus, interview guides, etc.)
Consent form/Assent form or waiver request
Plan for carrying out the research
The document should be in layman's terminology such that individuals outside of your field can understand the research.

9. Application Guidance
IRB applications should be arranged in the following order
Request for Approval Form (face sheet)
Personnel list
Research Description
Appendices (which can include Consent and Assent forms or waivers, advertising/recruitment materials, and any supplementary forms, as for vulnerable populations)
If announcements are being made in class regarding a research project, the IRB will need to review a copy of the recruitment script. If you are utilizing a subject pool such as the Psychology 101 subject pool you will need to include a copy of the announcement that will be posted to the subject pool website.

10. Consent Form Required Elements
Statement that the study involves research
Statement of Purpose
What participation will involve (what will participants be asked to do)
Time Required for Participation
Description of Risks
Description of Benefits
Disclosure of Alternatives to taking part in the research
Confidentiality
Compensation / Reimbursement
Participation is voluntary
Whom to Contact
Privacy vs. Confidentiality – add notes

11. Consenting in CBR
Crucial to realize that consent is a process NOT a document.
Issues of literacy and language are primary consideration.
Potential participants may have crucial information but must understand that they have the right to choose not to participate.
CBR more likely to use methods like face to face interviews making privacy an issue.
Participants in CBR studies often live in small communities and can be easily identified by quotes.
CBR researcher need to be aware of laws and mandated reporting requirements. Consideration should be given to whether this information needs to be a part of the consent.
Privacy vs. Confidentiality – add notes

12. Vulnerable Populations
Children
Cognitively Impaired
Prisoners
Pregnant Women, Fetuses, and Neonates
Projects involving these groups require supplemental forms which can be found on the IRB website

13. Minors as Research Subjects
A minor is defined in Alabama as a person less than 19 years old and not emancipated by the court, not legally married.
Minors cannot legally grant consent.
Must provide assent (active agreement - lack of a no does not mean yes).
The assent process must be appropriate to the study as well as to:
the age (recommended for ages 7 and older)
maturity
and psychological state of the child

14. Ways to Submit the Application
Our office receives protocol submissions via the following methods
Traditional Mail
eProtocol Submission (online submission system)
Please note: In order to use the eProtocol system you will need to request a user ID and password from

15. The Review Process
Applications for Human Subjects Research fall into three categories:
Exempt Review
Expedited Review
Full Board Review
Please note: The type of review that an application receives is determined within the Office for Research Compliance, but researchers may request a particular type of review.

16. The Review Process continued
General Steps include the following:
1) The Human Subjects Application is reviewed by a Research Compliance Specialist for completeness.
2) Feedback is provided to the Principal Investigator (PI) via
3) Responses from the PI are reviewed

17. The Review Process continued
For Exempt review- Applications are reviewed by the Research Compliance Officer (RCO) to verify exempt status, if determined exempt, then the RCO approve the project and the IRB approval is granted
For Expedited review- Applications are sent to one or two members of the IRB to verify expedited status; if determined that the application can be given an expedited review, then the reviewer may ask additional questions or approve the project . Please note in some instances, the reviewer will refer the protocol for review by the convened IRB
For Full Board Review-Applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the IRB in which additional information may be requested; Applications are then reviewed at the convened IRB meeting, in which the board may make any of the following determinations:
approve,
approve with modifications,
disapprove,
table,
or ask the PI to revise the application and resubmit to the board

20. Closure
Continuing review is not required for studies in which data collection from human participants has ended, if the dataset no longer contains participant identifiers and there are no means of re-establishing the link.
If data will remain identifiable, investigators must keep the IRB approval active.
Investigators are urged to state in their applications how long they will retain the data and whether data will remain identifiable.

21. Tips for Easing the IRB Review Process
Ask Questions-
Office for Research Compliance staff are available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:45 PM
358 Rose Administration Building
Phone
Fax
general questions to

22. Tips for Easing the IRB Review Process continued
Allow yourself enough time to complete the process
Submit to 358 Rose Administration
Prior to IRB submission, complete your human subjects training; if you are not sure whether or not your training is current, you may call our office to verify
training website:

23. Community Based Research and the IRB
Opportunities & Solutions
Relationship building with IRB –currently 3 community members on the Non-Medical IRB and one on the Medical IRB.
Provide better education for researchers on the IRB process.
Add additional CB researchers to the IRB to expand expertise.
Continuing education for IRB members regarding CBR.
Community based researchers and the IRB need to develop closer relationships than usually required of standard research.

24. Contact Information
Office for Research Compliance – (205)
Tanta Myles – Director of Research Compliance
Jeanelle Graham – Research Compliance Specialist
Ed Shirley – Research Compliance Specialist
Tyler Uzzell – Research Compliance Specialist
Mukesha Voltz – Research Compliance Specialist

25. Questions???