by Amy Davis, managing director, programs

PRIM&R is excited to introduce the Ethical Oversight of Human Subjects Research Course (EO Course), a four-hour, in-depth exploration of the functions and purposes of institutional review boards (IRBs). Through an interactive, animated interface and a mock IRB, the course focuses on the roles of IRB members who tackle the challenging, ethical and regulatory issues that they frequently face.

Watch this diverse group of IRB members as they review two different protocols as a means of illustrating the key points of each of the eight modules, which cover the history of our current human subjects protections system, the regulatory framework, how to review a research protocol, the assessment and minimization of risks to subjects, the assessment and maximization of benefits, the informed consent process, appropriate data monitoring systems, and more. Course participants will learn about the ethical principles that govern human subjects research and will learn to apply the rules and principles to both biomedical and social/behavioral case studies.

This is the first online course that PRIM&R has produced. Based on years of feedback from HRPP professionals, we know there’s a need for reliable, affordable research ethics education geared to the IRB member. We also know that institutions are constantly looking for engaging, intelligent educational programs for their IRB members. As the field of human subjects protections becomes more complex, the need for courses that encourage the application of rules to factual scenarios becomes increasingly valuable. We hope that this course meets that need.

Please visit the EO Course overview page to learn more. If you have any questions, please e-mail me, or call 617.423.4112, ext. 12. I look forward to seeing you online!