Officials with Yavapai College announced their new Institutional Review Board recently received formal approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Human Research. An Institutional Review Board, also known as IRB, is a board which reviews research proposals taking place at the college to ensure ethical practices. This means Yavapai College is now eligible to review and oversee research that includes human subjects in accordance with federal and ethical standards.
The IRB includes a large roster of members, a handful of which will review each proposal. College officials report that while only five members are required for the IRB to be approved, the roster currently contains 11 voting members and 20 non-voting members. They say the push for an increase in on-campus research comes after faculty and students expressed interest in pursuing research studies, adding the approval marks an important advancement in the college’s educational infrastructure and expands opportunities.