When your mission is to advance ethical research, it’s of tantamount importance to know that one’s work doesn’t exist in a bubble. Research—from the bud of an idea to a full-grown harvest of results—has widespread effects on those conducting it, those who review protocols, the communities who participate, and science at large.

“People conducting research need to understand the wider perspective on how their research proposals are evaluated,” said a research professional who recently completed IRB 101sm, one of PRIM&R’s At Your Doorstep programs, at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Awareness of research’s impact must begin at the… well… beginning. And that’s just what participants of IRB 101sm, and its follow-up program, IRB 250, learn. Participants from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire did just that: They reviewed the development of the US federally mandated system, then the underlying principles and procedures for reviewing research, and finally, the key components of the regulations that govern IRB operations.

While the Eau Claire attendees mostly conduct research for clinical trials or social, behavioral, and educational research, other At Your Doorstep participants conduct drug and device research; student and investigator initiated research; and research with populations who do not speak English. Still others oversee research efforts outside of the US and others maintain databases and registries. Such was the case with the Allina Health System, which hosted an IRB 250 program in April.

The benefit of courses that can be customized to an institution’s needs was immediately apparent to this group: One veteran IRB member with a 10-year affiliation appreciated that the content was tapered to her needs, and said she found the information very pertinent to her work. Many other institutions have been very pleased with the quality of learning included in these courses; you can learn who they are on our website.

We frequently hear about the benefits that refresher courses like IRB 101sm and IRB 250 offer. If you could use a review of the federal regulations, and are interested in hosting an At Your Doorstep program, please contact Emily Hayden, program coordinator, via e-mail or at 617.423.4112, ext. 26, or complete the institutional survey for IRB 101sm and/or IRB 250 and fax it to PRIM&R at 617.423.1185.

Interested in co-hosting an At Your Doorstep program with another institution? Please contact Emily Hayden, program coordinator, via e-mail or by phone at 617.423.4112, ext. 26. We encourage you to team up with institutions in your area to host a program.

(Photo Credit: WizardofWellness.com)