IRB Board Structure

Department representatives are responsible for the initial review of all research proposals submitted to the IRB by St. Joseph's University faculty, administration, staff, and/or students.  Each academic department in which research with human participants is deemed a possibility must provide at least two faculty members, with at least one from each campus, to serve as representatives to the IRB. Departments anticipating a high volume of reviewable research may elect to provide more than two representatives.

1. Each department may establish its own procedures for determining who will serve as its representatives.
2. Departmental Registration– By May 1 of each academic year, department chairs must provide the IRB chair with names and academic credentials for any new or renewed representatives for their departments by submitting an Assigned Department Representative Form for each. Terms of service for new and renewed representatives will begin September 1 of the next academic year.
3. Term of Service– Representatives serve three-year renewable terms ending on August 31 of their final service year.
4. Resignation and Replacement of Representatives- Department representatives may resign without penalty before the end of a term, two weeks after submitting letters of resignation to their respective chair and the IRB chair. If their resignation reduces department representation below the minimum of two members, the department chair must submit a replacement to the IRB chair as soon as possible. The replacement will complete the term of the resigning representative. Beyond this special circumstance, replacement with a new representative is at the discretion of the department chair.
5. Representative Training– Prior to reviewing any submitted research proposals, department representatives must satisfy each of the following requirements:
   
   (a) Read the regulations and procedures of the IRB.
   (b) Read the Belmont Report [HEW] and Code of Federal Regulations (Title 45, Part 46) [HHS] provided through links at the Training Site for IRB Members and Faculty.
   (c) Submit to the IRB chair a signed Training Declaration indicating they have read and understood these materials.
   (d) Complete the NIH administered online training program for Protecting Human Research Participants (Office of Extramural Research) as provided through the link at the Training Site for IRB Members and Faculty, and submit its certificate of completion to the IRB chair.
6. Conflicts of Interest– Department representatives must recuse themselves from the review process of any research proposals in which they have interest as investigators, consultants, or faculty supervisors; or of any research proposals for which they cannot provide unbiased and impersonal reviews. In such cases, review applications must be transferred to non-conflicted representatives.

Responsibilities of Departmental Representatives

1. reviewing research proposals from St. Joseph's University faculty and students which have been submitted for Expedited Review and render a decision (i.e., Approved, Pending Revision, or Deemed in Need of Full Review).
2. forwarding disposition(s) to IRB Chair.

Membership

* = member of the IRB executive committee

The Executive Committee includes the following seven members

• College Senior Vice President, ex officio.
• Two community-based representatives unaffiliated with the University, one in Brooklyn and one in Long Island, who are solicited by the administration for three-year renewable terms. Participation of each community representative in Full Reviews of research proposals is limited to projects originating at or being conducted at their respective home community campuses. Both representatives participate in Full Reviews of proposals for research spanning both campuses.
• Four faculty members from the pool of department representatives: one from Brooklyn, one from Long Island, one from Graduate Studies, and one at-large. Each faculty member is appointed by the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs for a one-year term.

The IRB Chair is appointed by the Senior Vice President and will assume the position no later than September 10 of each academic year. The Chair is responsible for calling all meetings of the Executive Committee, setting the agenda, and ensuring compliance with all IRB regulations and procedures.

The IRB Executive Committee is responsible for

1. reviewing research proposals from St. Joseph's faculty, administrators, staff, or students which have been submitted for Full Review by the principal investigator or forwarded for Full Review by a department representative;
2. reviewing any research proposal from a non-affiliated investigator that employs St. Joseph's students as subjects or that uses St. Joseph's facilities;
3. reviewing investigator appeals of adverse IRB dispositions;
4. keeping abreast of changes in ethical standards for human subjects research;
5. informing and educating the University community about ethical standards;
6. reporting serious violations of IRB regulations to the University administration for possible disciplinary action;
7. supervising the effectiveness of the Department Representatives; and
8. maintaining written and/or electronic records of all IRB activities, including membership documents, meeting minutes, submitted proposals, review decisions, investigator appeals, and adverse incident reports.

Membership

Brooklyn A&S faculty representative: Robert Riley, Social Sciences, IRB Chair

Long Island A&S faculty representative: Lynn McGoey – Psychology

Professional Studies faculty representative: Sharon Friedman-Urevich – Nursing

At-large faculty representative: Anna Egbert, Psychology

Brooklyn community representative: Esther Berkowitz

Long Island community representative: Jessica Brown