Which group protects human subjects as they are involved in research activities?

The protection of human subjects involved in research is primarily overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in the United States. An IRB is a committee that is formally designated to review, approve, and monitor biomedical and behavioral research involving humans with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects. IRBs are required by federal law for all research that receives funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but many other research institutions have their own IRBs regardless of funding sources.

When a study is proposed, researchers must submit their plan to an IRB for approval before beginning their study. The IRB considers factors like the ethical treatment of participants, informed consent, confidentiality, and the risk-to-benefit ratio of the research. Only after the IRB grants approval can the researchers begin to recruit participants and collect data.