Purpose Members of the IRB provide an invaluable service to the UW research community and to the volunteer participants in UW research. IRB members have an obligation to maintain the highest standards of judgment relative to their duties as members. This document provides an overview of IRB member standards and responsibilities. Regular Attendance Number of meetings. Voting members of the IRB establish the IRB meeting quorum. Therefore, each regular member is expected to attend at least 2/3 of convened meetings annually. Members who share a position are expected to attend at least 1/3 of convened meetings annually. Arrival and departure. Voting members are expected to arrive promptly and to stay at convened meetings until all IRB business has been completed, whenever possible. The expected duration of meetings is 2.5 hours maximum. Advance notice. When attendance is not possible, IRB members must notify the HSD staff allowing sufficient time in advance of the meeting to locate an alternate member to ensure a quorum. Because member packets are prepared and sent to members a week before the meeting date, members should whenever possible notify staff at least one week, if not two weeks, before the meeting date that they will not be able to attend a meeting. Alternative: Phone participation. Members are expected to consider whether meeting attendance and participation by phone, Skype, or similar technology is a feasible alternative, when in-person attendance is not possible. Meeting Preparation and Review of Materials Which materials. All members are expected to be familiar with all items on the agenda. Review criteria. Members are expected to systematically evaluate each item according to (1) the three ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report; (2) the applicable federal criteria for IRB approval (which will be identified for the IRB members by the HSD staff); (3) UW policies and procedures as provided on the HSD website; and (4) other requirements as listed on UW IRB Checklists and Worksheets. These criteria and requirements are provided to each member, posted on the HSD website, and are available at the IRB meetings. Primary reviewer. The IRB member with the most appropriate expertise for reviewing a specific item is assigned to the role of primary reviewer. The primary reviewer:
Purpose Members of the IRB provide an invaluable service to the UW research community and to the volunteer participants in UW research. IRB members have an obligation to maintain the highest standards of judgment relative to their duties as members. This document provides an overview of IRB member standards and responsibilities. Regular Attendance Number of meetings. Voting members of the IRB establish the IRB meeting quorum. Therefore, each regular member is expected to attend at least 2/3 of convened meetings annually. Members who share a position are expected to attend at least 1/3 of convened meetings annually. Arrival and departure. Voting members are expected to arrive promptly and to stay at convened meetings until all IRB business has been completed, whenever possible. The expected duration of meetings is 2.5 hours maximum. Advance notice. When attendance is not possible, IRB members must notify the HSD staff allowing sufficient time in advance of the meeting to locate an alternate member to ensure a quorum. Because member packets are prepared and sent to members a week before the meeting date, members should whenever possible notify staff at least one week, if not two weeks, before the meeting date that they will not be able to attend a meeting. Alternative: Phone participation. Members are expected to consider whether meeting attendance and participation by phone, Skype, or similar technology is a feasible alternative, when in-person attendance is not possible. Meeting Preparation and Review of Materials Which materials. All members are expected to be familiar with all items on the agenda. Review criteria. Members are expected to systematically evaluate each item according to (1) the three ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report; (2) the applicable federal criteria for IRB approval (which will be identified for the IRB members by the HSD staff); (3) UW policies and procedures as provided on the HSD website; and (4) other requirements as listed on UW IRB Checklists and Worksheets. These criteria and requirements are provided to each member, posted on the HSD website, and are available at the IRB meetings. Primary reviewer. The IRB member with the most appropriate expertise for reviewing a specific item is assigned to the role of primary reviewer. The primary reviewer: