The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues May 2014 report, Gray Matters: Integrative Approaches for Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society, includes recommendations for institutions and individuals engaged in neuroscience research.
Even as multicenter studies with central IRB reviews gain traction, some IRBs are still hesitant to join in. However, coordinating a multisite study among several IRBs within the same university system can be a time and paperwork hassle for both principal investigators and IRBs and could make previously reluctant IRBs consider a new central reliance agreement.
Evaluating research risk requires understanding a variety of potential harms and their nuanced impact. IRBs might find it useful to have a matrix to help explore each potential harm.
As IRB offices gear up for a busy academic research year, its a good idea to dust off IRB templates, checklists, and other tools to revise, improve, and adapt to technology and other changes.
For many years, the IRB office at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) followed a process that was standard at most institutions: long, regularly scheduled meetings organized to review an ever-increasing number of protocols.
