Scope and Function

The IRB

The UT Health Science Center Institutional Review Board (IRB) is comprised of 4 sections. Each meets monthly in 910 Madison, Suite 502, Memphis, TN or via Zoom on the first, second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of the month. View meeting schedules for meeting times and submission deadlines.

Scope

The UTHSC IRB oversees all human subjects research conducted by UTHSC faculty, staff, students, residents, and fellows. This includes research at Campbell Clinic, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Methodist Healthcare-Memphis Hospitals, Regional One Health, and affiliated physician practice groups such as UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists, UT Regional One Health Physicians, and University Clinical Health. The UTHSC IRB also holds oversight authority for some human subjects research conducted at Semmes Murphey.

The UTHSC IRB maintains reliance agreements with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and University of Memphis (see SOP: UTHSC IRB Utilization of Local Reliance Agreements). The IRB also maintains a reliance agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) CIRB program (see SOP: UTHSC IRB Utilization of the NCI CIRB.)  

The IRB may, at its discretion, oversee research conducted by non-UTHSC personnel not covered by existing agreements.

The UTHSC IRB also reviews non-research requests for the use of drugs, biologics, or devices under federal regulations governing Emergency Use, Compassionate Use/Treatment Use, and Humanitarians Use Devices (HUDs) at UTHSC and its affiliated institutions.

Function

The IRB's primary role is to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects in accordance with federal, state, and university regulations. It also ensures that the university, affiliated institutions, and investigators comply with applicable ethical standards and regulations. While investigators are ultimately responsible for conducting research in compliance with these standards, the IRB office is available to provide guidance and support.