Institutional Review Board
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated.
The IRB is charged with the responsibility of reviewing, prior to its initiation, all research (whether funded or not) involving human participants. The IRB is concerned with protecting the welfare, rights, and privacy of human subjects. The IRB has the authority to approve, disapprove, monitor, and require modifications in all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction as specified by both the federal regulations and institutional policy.
Contact: IRB@memphis.edu
Regulatory Update
The Department of Health and Human Services regulates the function of IRBs under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45 Public Welfare, Part 46 Protection of Human Subjects. A major regulatory update occurred in January of 2019. A description of those changes can be found here:
Regulatory Update: January 19, 2019
Submit for Human Research Review
If you are conducting human subjects research, you must apply for review by the IRB through CayuseIRB software. Details on the application process are found at the link below. Information on training for IRB application is also found at the link. Submit a Human Subjects Research Protocol.
Do I Need IRB Approval?
If you are unsure if you need IRB approval for your study, please review the Decision Guide and information provided by the Division of Research and Innovation and Department of Health and Human Services. Review if you need IRB approval here.
Board Members and Meetings
The Institutional Review Board is chaired by Dr. James Whelan. All applications for review are submitted through CayuseIRB. The IRB Member Roster and view the schedule.
Human Subjects Data Sharing Agreement
Data sharing agreements are required when human subject data is shared by another party with the PI. The process for establishing a shared data agreement is Research Data Security.