Research Compliance

Human Research Protection Program

The International Center for Research on Women strives to adhere to the highest ethical standards when conducting human subjects research (HSR) and to create a culture of respect for, and awareness of, the rights, safety, and welfare of human research subjects. ICRW’s Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) office determines which projects fall under the purview of the HRPP (exempt HSR) and IRB (non-exempt HSR), and the type of review, if any, that is required in accordance with the U.S. federal regulations. The HRPP offices ensures all individuals engaged in the conduct or oversight of research involving human subjects are qualified and complete appropriate human subjects research protection training.

The ICRW HRPP office ensures all exempt HSR is conducted in accordance with ICRW institutional policies and procedures, and the ethical principles: Respect of Person, Beneficence, and Justice, set forth in the Belmont Report.

See a list of our institution’s policies:

• Human Trafficking Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy
• Harassment and Discrimination Policy

Our Approach

Since 2007, ICRW’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) has worked with our partners and researchers, providing stringent assessments to assure ICRW-affiliated non-exempt research is designed and conducted in a manner that protects the rights of human subjects; protects human subjects from risk of harm; ensures that the benefits of the research outweigh its risks and that subjects’ participation is voluntary; preserves the dignity of human subjects; and ensures that human subjects provide informed consent to participate in the research, with the exception of specific circumstances approved by the IRB.

ICRW’s IRB is comprises external and internal technical and research experts, reflects racial, gender, and cultural diversity, and includes individuals sensitive to community issues. IRB members have professional and IRB experience or training to critically review research objectives, procedures, and conduct in accordance with regulations, laws, and professional standards. The IRB has scientific, non-scientific, and non-affiliated representatives, and is registered with the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  When reviewing research proposals, the ICRW IRB adheres to the principles outlined in the Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, as well as with the U.S. Federal regulations, outlined in U.S. Federal Code of Regulations (CFR), 45 CFR 46 Subpart A (The Common Rule), B, C, and D.

For more information on the ICRW HRPP/IRB contact [email protected].

Institutional Review Board Members

Research funded by the Public Health Service (PHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is subject to the requirements of the Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which PHS Funding is Sought (42 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 50, Subpart F), and the Responsible Prospective Contractors (45 CFR Part 94).  The ICRW PHS Funded Research Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) policy is publicly available here.  For more information on the ICRW policy please contact the ICRW Research Compliance Office at [email protected].  For more information on the PHS funded research FCOI policy please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coi.