University of Southern California

IRB Community Members

An IRB community member is someone from outside the organization or institution who serves on the Institutional Review Board. The community member is usually non-scientific and is not affiliated with the institution. Community members come from a variety of backgrounds and are chosen for particular experience, knowledge, or relationship to the types of studies reviewed by the IRB. These members often are drawn from the community in which an institution resides. Former research subjects, patient advocates, teachers, nurses, members of vulnerable populations, retirees or experts in multicultural affairs may be sought for IRB service.

IRB Community Member Resources

• You Have What it Takes to be an IRB Community Member guides IRB community members through the human subjects research process and helps them transition into a valued member of the IRB. It can also serve as a great introduction for anybody new to human subjects research and the IRB.
• The Department of Energy and USC are offering a series of free educational conference calls for IRB Community Members. Sign up here to receive announcements about future calls. The most recent call included a presentation on “Social Media Research and Ethical Challenges”.
  • Presentation Slides
• An IRB Public Member’s Education (Journal of Clinical Research Best Practices)
• Dept of Energy Community IRB Member Webpage
• IRB Community Member listserv (DOE)
• Community Engaged Research at Northwestern University (Video)
• The Family Health International (FHI) Office of International Research Ethics (OIRE) has developed a dynamic and innovative curriculum to empower community representatives through training and education to act as a competent voice for research participants worldwide. The Research Ethics Training Curriculum for Community Representatives (RETC-CR) helps community representatives to understand the research process and their roles and responsibilities as partners of the research team.
• IRB Reviewer Guidelines
  The IRB Reviewer Guidelines are available to aid IRB members and staff in the review of applications. They are consistent with FDA and OHRP regulatory requirements.
  • Reviewer Guidelines for New IRB Applications
  • Reviewer Guidelines for Continuing Review Applications
  • Reviewer Guidelines for Informed Consent
  • Reviewer Guidelines for Research Involving Pregnant Women, Human Fetuses, and Neonates
  • Reviewer Guidelines for Research Involving Prisoners
  • Reviewer Guidelines for Research Involving Children