For IRB Members

Resources IRB Members

Thank you for your invaluable contribution of time and expertise. Please use the resources below when conducting your IRB reviews.

Other Checklists:

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 according to the 3 principles in the Belmont Report and according to the policies and procedures as outlined in the IRB Member Handbook prior to the meeting
  • 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 
  • To help implement Governmental and University policy regarding human research

Community Members Are Crucial to Successful IRB Processes

All research involving human participants is required to be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure that the rights and welfare of participants are protected. IRBs are made up of both scientists and those who are not scientists (community members). Community members play important and valuable roles in:

  • Providing non-scientific perspectives when research is reviewed
  • Helping to ensure that written materials make sense to those without scientific backgrounds
  • Helping to identify potential ethical concerns that may impact your community

Community Member Role

Represent the community perspective when reviewing research studies involving humans. Since community members are not expected to evaluate the study design, community members are not expected to have a background in science or research.

The UCSF IRB is seeking people with:

  • Diverse backgrounds and experiences. Possible candidates include artists, community organizers, faith or spiritual leaders, full-time caregivers, individuals from the service industry, previous research participants, social workers, teachers, and veterans
  • Interest or curiosity in research and protection of human participants
  • Ability to consider studies from the point of view of members of the general community
  • Comfort in raising concerns and asking questions in a committee meeting
  • Ability to review assigned studies in advance of the meeting
  • Willingness to serve for at least two years

Time Commitment

The total time commitment for community members is about 5 hours per meeting (2-3 hours preparation + 2-hour meeting). Depending on the Committee, there are 1 or 2 meetings each month. Meetings are during the hours of 8AM-5PM. All meetings are held over Zoom with an option to call in by phone. Community Members are compensated for their time.

Interested?

If you are interested in becoming a Community Member of the IRB, and you reside within the San Francisco Bay Area, please complete the UCSF IRB Community Member form. 

Resources for more information on IRBs. 

  • To learn more about what an IRB is, visit the What Is an IRB page. 
  • For more information on how IRB’s protect human research participants, here is a short video.

 

Last updated: March 11, 2025