Which statement accurately describes the role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

• A. They review proposals to ensure risk is minimized, informed consent is adequate, and participant protections are in place.
• B. They allocate funds for the study.
• C. They determine participant compensation.
• D. They publish the study results.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how IRBs protect people in research. An Institutional Review Board reviews study proposals involving human participants to ensure their safety and rights are prioritized. This means they check that potential risks are minimized and reasonable relative to any potential benefits, that informed consent is clear, adequate, and voluntary, and that protections for participants are in place—such as privacy protections, data security, and safeguards for vulnerable groups. This description captures precisely what the IRB is responsible for, which is why it’s the best choice.

The other options fall outside the IRB’s primary role: allocating funds for the study involves budgeting and financial oversight, determining participant compensation is typically handled through study design and study administration (and may be reviewed for undue inducement, but isn’t the IRB’s main function), and publishing study results is the realm of researchers and journals, not the IRB.