IRB Accreditation

Institutional Review Board And Ethics

DAI Research & Advisory Services policy is to ensure that all research projects involving its personnel or funding and involving human subjects are reviewed and approved by its Institutional Review Board (DAI IRB). The purpose of DAI IRB is to review social and economic experimental evaluations.  Experimental evaluations protocol involving drugs, medical procedures, or other biological agents must also seek approval from the appropriate ethical review body, and approval of this Board alone is not sufficient.

DAI IRB approval must be obtained prior to the beginning of any human studies.  Those studies underway prior to the formation of this Board should submit applications within 2 months for review.  For research involving minimal risk, approval is granted for one year and must be renewed annually. For research involving more than minimal risk, renewal frequency will be determined by the Board upon approval.  

Criteria for Review

• For a study involving human subjects to be approved by the DAI IRB, it must satisfy the following criteria.
• The study uses procedures that are consistent with sound research design.
  Proposed research activities minimize the potential risk to the human subjects.
  Risks to subjects are reasonable, in relation to anticipated benefits to subjects (if any), and to the importance of the knowledge that may reasonably be expected to result.
• Selection of subjects is equitable.
• Informed consent will be sought and appropriately documented when necessary, or a waiver is requested (see below).
• The research plan makes adequate provision (when appropriate) for:
             - monitoring data to ensure the safety of subjects 
             - Protecting the privacy of subjects 
             - Maintaining the confidentiality of data 
             - When subjects are likely to be vulnerable to coercion or undue influence (e.g., children, prisoners, mentally disabled persons) additional safeguards are included.