• What exactly qualifies as human subject research?
• How do I know if the research I plan to do requires Institutional Review Board approval or registration
• Is informed consent required even if the data/specimens will be collected from my friends and colleagues?
• Who can consent on behalf of a subject for participation in a research study?
  Working With the Approved Protocol:
• Can I share my Institutional Review Board protocol approval with colleagues working on similar projects?
• I'm really busy, can I have my research coordinator or clinic manager respond to requests from the Institutional Review Board on my behalf?
  Submitting the Protocol:
• Do I need to list in my protocol application all of the research staff members that might be asked to participate on my approved research project?
  Other FAQ's:
• Is there any research-related assistance available to investigators located at the Brookwood Baptist Health?
• Why was I given less than a 12 month approval?
• What is the fastest way to find out what happened to my study at a Institutional Review Board meeting?

A. Any systematic investigation that is designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge, and which uses living humans or identifiable private information about living humans qualifies as human subjects research. Federal regulations defining human subject research can be found on-line at www.hhs.gov/ohrp.The regulations regarding FDA regulated drugs and devices are available on-line at  http://www.fda.gov/oc/ohrt/irbs/appendixd.html.

A. If the human subject data will be aggregated, analyzed or summarized for publication or presentation of any kind (whether inside or outside Brookwood Baptist Health), it requires Institutional Review Board approval or exempt registration. For an explanation of the different categories of human subjects research and their corresponding requirements for approval/registration, see "What Level of Review Do I Need?".

A. Yes. All research involving interaction with human subjects (including collection of specimens) requires informed consent regardless of who the subjects are. In some cases, written informed consent may be waived. Also, special rules apply to recruiting staff from within one's own department. For more information on informed consent requirements, see "Required Elements of Informed Consent."

A. No. The Institutional Review Board approves protocols with the understanding that the work will be conducted only by the Investigators named in the protocol application and/or the FDA form 1572. If your colleagues would like to work on your research project, you may modify your existing protocol to add them as Sub-investigators. Otherwise, they must apply for their own Institutional Review Board protocol approvals. For more information on how to modify an approved protocol, see "Changes (Modifications) in the Protocol".

A. Federal regulations require that the Institutional Review Board must communicate directly with the Principal Investigator regarding protocol-related issues. Accordingly, all correspondence and/or application submissions from (or on behalf of) the Principal Investigator must be submitted to the Institutional Review Board over the Principal Investigator's signature. The Institutional Review Board may return any protocol-related correspondence that is received without evidence of the Principal Investigator's approval.

A. All research staff members that participate in a Brookwood Baptist Health approved research project by performing research procedures must be included on the application as a Sub-investigator, be listed on the 1572, and be listed on the consent form. If the work performed on the research project would allow the staff person to receive credit in publications resulting from the research, then his or her name must be listed on the protocol. If, on the other hand, the staff person's role is part of his or her regular paid duties (i.e., phlebotomist, x-ray technician, research coordinator, etc.) and involvement in the project is limited to performing those duties without contributing to the research endeavor, then such individuals need not be listed as Sub-investigators. If your research team should change once the project is approved, you must submit a modification to your protocol adding the new investigator(s) or removing those no longer involved.

A. Yes, the Institutional Review Board office was established to assist staff with human subject research issues and provide regulatory guidance. It is located at: 

Brookwood Baptist Health
Institutional Review Board
Suite 1000 Ridge Park Place
1130 22nd St. South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Phone: (205) 715-5308
Fax: (205) 715-5304

A. It is mandated by Federal regulations that the Institutional Review Board grant approvals for a period not to exceed 365 days. However, the Institutional Review Board has authority to require review more frequently than 365 days when the risks presented by a protocol warrant it.

A. Call or email the Institutional Review Board following the Institutional Review Board meeting. The Institutional Review Board meets on the second Friday of the month.