For IRB Members

UC Davis IRB Members have superior knowledge, experience and dedication. We appreciate their hard work and thorough review of proposed research. The following pages contain useful resources and training for conducting IRB reviews.

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IRB Member Responsibilities

All IRB members have the following responsibilities:

  • To be committed to the protection of human subjects in research;
  • To attend IRB meetings on a regular basis, arriving on time and staying for the entire session whenever possible;
  • To evaluate the assigned protocols prior to the meeting according to the 3 principles in the principles of the Belmont Report, the policies and procedures as outlined in the IRB Member Handbook;
  • To determine which applications, if any, require more than annual consideration, and to determine which projects, if any, require verification of any facts from sources other the investigator;
  • To approve or to establish any conditions necessary for approval to protect subjects, or to disapprove any research activities reviewed by the IRB, with full explanation to applicants;
  • To have the authority to observe or have a third party observe the consent process;
  • To undertake any special projects necessary to assure that the committee’s decisions are as fully informed as possible;
  • To request aid of non-voting consultants, if necessary;
  • To respect the confidentiality of review materials and member discussions at the meetings;
  • To provide advice and counsel to research groups, departments and individual investigators;
  • To review material regarding protection of human subjects which is to be distributed to campus faculty and administrative offices; and,
  • To help implement Governmental and University policy regarding human research.