My Iona

IRB Membership

With the exception of community members, IRB members will be drawn from Iona's full-time faculty and should represent a diversity of interests in and approaches to human subjects research, including at least one member whose primary concerns are in scientific areas and one whose primary concerns are in non-scientific areas. The composition of the Board should be diverse also with respect to race, gender, and cultural background. The Board should include members who are sensitive to such issues as community attitudes, institutional commitments and regulations, standards of professional conduct, and vulnerable populations.

Each Spring, the Faculty Senate will solicit nominations for any open seats and will recommend faculty to the Provost for appointment for a term of three years. A member may serve no more than two terms consecutively; the member will be eligible for re-appointment following a one-year leave from the IRB. There is no life-time cap on membership. Community members will be appointed by the Provost's Office for a term of three years. Consecutive terms are not limited for the community members. All IRB members (including the community members) must be trained through the CITI training site.

The IRB will consist of 10 faculty members, plus at least one community member. A minimum of five members constitutes a quorum needed to conduct business, including a Full Board Review. In order for research to be approved at the Full Board Review level, the majority of those present at the meeting must decide in favor. When an IRB member is on sabbatical, cases will be rotated among the other members, assuming the burden does not become onerous.

Job Descriptions

The Institutional Official is the individual who is legally authorized to act for the institution and, on behalf of the institution, obligates the institution to the Terms of the Assurance. The Institutional Official is responsible for ensuring that the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) functions effectively and that the institution provides the resources and support necessary to comply with all requirements applicable to research involving human subjects. The Provost is currently listed as the Iona University IRB Institutional Official.

The Institutional Contact is a designee of the Institutional Official who serves as the primary point of communication with the public, with participants, and with the IRB in matters relating to human subjects research. The duties and responsibilities of the Institutional Contact are determined by the Institutional Official. Currently, the Institutional Contact is responsible for the secure housing of IRB documents.

The chairperson is the acting leader of the IRB and manager of the review process for all applications. Responsibilities include coordinating with heads of various departments, coordinating with the Provost's Office, establishing a schedule of meetings for the board, presiding over board meetings, managing the distribution of applications for review, and serving as the principal reviewer for all applications.

The chairperson is chosen by the IRB members from among its members for a term of three years (or the remainder of his/her term of membership, whichever is shorter). The minimum qualifications for this position include: full-time academic appointment as tenured or tenure-track faculty and two years of active reviewing experience as a member of the IRB.”

community member serves the IRB by representing a viewpoint from outside the research community. Responsibilities include reviewing all non-expedited, non-exempt applications for evidence of concerns for the community at large, including concerns for the research participants themselves and for the potential effect of the ideas that the research generates.

Each IRB Member is expected to participate fully in the activities of the IRB. The primary duties of the member are to review applications and provide feedback to the chairperson, to attend and participate in meetings, and to complete occasional ad hoc assignments. In cases in which the chairperson is a signatory on an application, a senior IRB member will be designated as acting-chairperson for the purposes of reviewing that application.