The use of four subcommittees allows the IRB to ensure appropriate review of about 180 new protocols and 300 continuing reviews per fiscal year.

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Facilitated Review Subcommittee (CIRB)

The Central IRB Subcommittee performs facilitated reviews of protocols and consent forms approved by the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Central Institutional Review Board.

Facilitated Reviews Subcommittee

Genetics Subcommittee

The Genetics Subcommittee provides guidelines for submission of and review of protocols that include either gene therapy or genetic testing. The subcommittee provides assistance as well as tools to investigators and reviewers alike.

Research Involving Genetic Testing and Genetic Checklist

Questionnaires Subcommittee

The Questionnaires Subcommittee reviews all questionnaires of more than 50 questions to ensure they are appropriate, that questions are phrased in a sensitive manner, etc. Review of the protocol and consent form are included as part of the questionnaire review. Questionnaires may not be used until they have received IRB approval.

Guidelines for Questionnaires

Review Form for Questionnaires

Procedures of the Questionnaire Subcommittee

Recruitment Subcommittee

The Recruitment Subcommittee reviews all recruitment materials including, but not limited to, advertisements, brochures, flyers, videos, websites, etc. to ensure that they are appropriate in their representation of the risks and benefits of the study and are an aid to decision making. Review of the protocol and consent form is included as part of the recruitment material review. No recruitment materials may be used until they have received IRB approval.

All recruitment pieces must be submitted to and approved by the IRB Recruitment Subcommittee prior to use. If your protocol has been approved by the IRB and recruitment materials were included as part of your original submission, the materials will need to be pulled out and submitted to this subcommittee prior to use.

All protocols must be IRB approved prior to the submission of any recruitment material. Please refer to page 11 of the IRB toolkit (this link requires Adobe® Acrobat Reader to view).

Recruitment Subcommittee Review Request Form

In addition, prior to review by the IRB, principal investigators receive the Recruitment and Consent/Assent Process Information Form. This form is required for all new protocol submissions to the IRB. It provides the informed consent reviewer with more information regarding the consent form process, the recruitment process and helps facilitate a thorough review. The PIs bring the completed forms to their presentation to the IRB Board. The form is given to the informed consent reviewer who uses the information to complete their review. The document is maintained as part of the IRB files.

If a protocol receives an initial expedited review, the form is completed by the PI and forwarded to the IRB chairperson or a designee for consideration prior to the IRB chairperson's determination.

Recruitment and Consent/Assent Process Information Form

For more information, please call the IRB office at 215-214-3754.