TAMU-CC Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Purpose or Function: The TAMU-CC Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi conducts human subjects research under its Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) issued by the Office of Human Research Protections.

An FWA is a document that assures an institution's commitment to comply with the federal research regulations, with national and international ethical principles, and with federal, state and local laws related to the protection of human research subjects.

TAMU-CC (FWA00011281) is on file with the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP). For those that are interested or need to view the registration, it can be located on the OHRP’s website.

The IRB is charged with the responsibility of reviewing, prior to its initiation, all research (whether funded or not) involving human participants. The IRB is concerned with protecting the welfare, rights, and privacy of human subjects. The IRB has the authority to approve, disapprove, monitor, and require modifications in all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction as specified by both the federal regulations and institutional policy.

Membership: 

• At least five (5) members;  
• Varying backgrounds and professional competence to promote complete and adequate review of research activities commonly conducted.  
• Members who represent the perspective of vulnerable populations if routinely recruited as subject population by the organization, such as children, prisoners, individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, economically or educationally disadvantaged persons;  
• At least one member with a primary interest in science (scientific member);  
• At least one member with a primary interest in non-science (non-scientific member); and  
• At least one member who is not affiliated with the organization and who is not part of the immediate family of someone who is affiliated with the organization (unaffiliated member).  
• IRB member candidates will be recruited based on the recommendations of the Institutional Official, Deans, IRB members and their colleagues or by self-nomination. IRB staff will on board IRB member candidates.
• An IRB member candidate will be presented to the Institutional Official for final approval of appointment. The member’s term expiration date is three (3) years from the Term Start Date. Members are evaluated annually.

Chair: Appointed by the Institutional Official

Responsible University Official: Institutional Official; Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation