Institutional Review Board
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee formally appointed by the Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). The IRB works to protect the rights of human subjects involved in research by reviewing all research activities involving human subjects conducted by ICJIA staff. ICJIA’s IRB always contains at least five members from varying backgrounds including at least one scientific representative, at least one nonscientific representative, and at least one member not affiliated with the institution. Additionally, ICJIA’s IRB contains members that represent prisoners and victims.
About the IRB
The IRB fulfills ICJIA’s contract with the federal Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) to ensure that all human subjects research (whether federally-funded or not) conducted by staff comply with the federal regulations (45 CFR 46) and adhere to the statement of principles contained in the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research (The Belmont Report). IRB approval affirms the methodological and ethical quality of the research, and it is the primary responsibility of the IRB to review research activities that involve human subjects or their data to ensure that:
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Participants risks are outweighed by the possible benefits to the participant and/or the importance of the knowledge to be gained or its benefit to society.
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Participants’ rights and their welfare will be adequately protected.
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Informed consent is obtained by adequate and appropriate means, when applicable.
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Long-term research protocols are reviewed at least annually, when applicable.
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The participant is fully aware of his/her rights, risks, benefits, and the nature of the procedures.
IRB Registration Information
ICJIA’s IRB is registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (IRB00010583) and the Federal-wide Assurance (FWA) for the Protection of Human Subjects (FWA00024306).