
I was eager to attend the session "Reviewing Exercise Science Research at Primarily SBER Institutions" (speakers: Summer B. Cook, PhD; Michael Leary, PhD CIP; Meghan Felicia Pronovost, MS) during the 2019 Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research Conference (SBER19) specifically because of some of the research occurring at my institution. I was curious how our process stacked up with other institutions, and I had hopes of providing tips to improve research methods for our investigators/student researchers as well as the review and critical thinking practices of the IRB committee. I noticed a plethora of similarities and opportunities for advancement, as expected. As the session continued, I began to wonder how we as administrators balance the specificity of our application and approval process with the variation of protocols we review in our limited capacities. I thought to myself: what would it take to integrate a change in practice based on new education from SBER19? What is the added value of the change? How does it compare with the amount of work it would take to devise and implement the change? Read more