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Research and Innovation: Institutional Review Board

Join the UAMS Institutional Review Board

The UAMS Institutional Review Board is a group of people who review proposed human subject research studies to ensure the rights, safety, and welfare of research participants are protected. We seek a diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints on our institutional review board, and welcome reviewers from both within UAMS / Arkansas Children’s and the community. We hold our meetings virtually, making it possible for people from across the state to serve as reviewers.

Institutional Review Board reviewers make it possible for our researchers to do human subject research in a way that protects the people who volunteer in studies. We review a wide variety of research projects, such as those testing new, unapproved drugs and medical devices; those assessing social determinants of health or exposure to toxins; and studies of dietary interventions; brain functioning; and countless other topics. We can only carry out this research with the oversight of a committed, diverse institutional review board.

If you’re interested in learning more about joining the UAMS Institutional Review Board as a reviewer, please complete the form below, and the Institutional Review Board office will follow up with you.

Institutional Review Board Reviewer Application Form

Thank you for your interest in learning more about UAMS Institutional Review Board membership. This form is designed to give you information about what Institutional Review Board membership involves, and to capture the information we need to select a broad range of reviewer candidates. Note that all responses are kept confidential and will not be shared outside the Institutional Review Board office.

Name(Required)
Primary phone number
If there is another number at which you can be reached, please enter it here, including area code.
Please briefly describe how you became interested in becoming an Institutional Review Board reviewer.

Commitments and Requirements

This section will describe the training and other time commitments expected of Institutional Review Board reviewers. Please read each question carefully and provide the required information.
Training(Required)
Initial Institutional Review Board reviewer training starts with watching a prerecorded session that lasts about two hours. Can you commit to completing this online portion of the training?
Meeting observation(Required)
Once you have viewed the initial training, you will be asked to attend at least one and possibly two Institutional Review Board meetings as an observer. Meetings occur on Tuesday afternoons via Zoom, and typically last 60-90 minutes. Can you commit to attending one or two meetings as an observer?
Real time training(Required)
After attending Institutional Review Board meeting(s) as an observer, you will be asked to participate in a live training to review concepts and to ask questions of the Institutional Review Board team. Other onboarding reviewers may also join this session, which should take about 60-90 minutes. Can you commit to attending this training, if we work with you to find a convenient date / time?
Meeting Attendance(Required)
If you join the Institutional Review Board, you will be assigned to a committee that meets once per month on a Tuesday afternoon. Meetings typically last 60-90 minutes. Meeting agendas are typically sent the Wednesday before the scheduled meeting, and meeting preparation can take up to 5 hours, depending on the complexity and number of items you are assigned. We also ask that you plan to serve as a reviewer for at least one calendar year. Can you commit to devoting about 5 to 7 hours one week per month to being an Institutional Review Board reviewer (this includes prep time and meeting time)?
Technology and Space Access(Required)
Because the Institutional Review Board meets via Zoom and its discussions are confidential, reviewers should have access to appropriate technology, internet capacity, and a private space from which to log into the meeting. (Note: Some of our members have attended from a private meeting room in the local public library, which is fine. Logging in from a public space where discussions can be overheard, like a coffee shop, is not permitted.) Do you have access to adequate technology and space?

Role and Background

Institutional review boards are required to include members that represent a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. These questions are designed to help us determine where you might best fit on the Institutional Review Board.
Affiliation with UAMS or AC(Required)
“Affilated” means you or an immediate family member are an agent or employee of UAMS, Arkansas Children’s, or the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute. Examples include, but are not limited to: Current full- and part-time employees, faculty, current students, member of any governing panel or board of these institutions, healthcare providers credentialed to practice at UAMS or Arkansas Children’s, volunteers at these institutions who work in non-Institutional Review Board-related matters, current students, former students who graduated fewer than 10 years ago. You are “unaffiliated” if you do not meet the definition of affiliated. Choose which option best describes you:
Please provide a resume, CV, or other document describing your educational and / or professional qualifications. This information will help us determine your areas of expertise.
Max. file size: 15 MB.
The UAMS Institutional Review Board reviews many types of research studies, such as clinical trials of investigational drugs and medical devices, social/behavioral studies, neuroscience research, nursing research, and many others. UAMS / Arkansas Children’s studies also enroll participants from a diverse population, including but not limited to prisoners, pregnant people, distinct racial / ethnic / cultural / religious groups, children, etc. Please describe any expertise you have with particular conditions, types of research, populations, or any other area where you may have unique insights as an Institutional Review Board member.
The UAMS Institutional Review Board strives to reflect the entire Arkansas population, which means seeking diversity in its Institutional Review Board membership. Diversity can be considered part of the communities you participate in and the experiences you’ve had (e.g. being a caregiver for a seriously ill patient, working with or being a member of an economically disadvantaged group, etc.) as well as more traditional diversity concepts, such as race, gender, sexuality, etc. If there is anything else you would like us to know about what you could contribute to the diversity of perspectives on the Institutional Review Board, please describe here.