Health Sciences Institutional Review Boards
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of individuals participating as subjects in its research. All human subjects research conducted under the auspices of the University is evaluated by an institutional review board (IRB). The Health Sciences Institutional Review Boards Office is home to two of the four IRBs on campus: the Health Sciences IRB (HS-IRB) and the Minimal Risk IRB (MR-IRB). The HS-IRB primarily reviews studies involving clinical trials or other types of more than minimal risk research in the health sciences. The MR-IRB primarily reviews minimal risk studies in the health sciences, such as medical records studies and survey research. The HS-IRB and MR-IRB review all human research protocols in accordance with federal regulations, state laws, and local and University policies. The IRBs are composed of members from various disciplines in the medical, social, and behavioral sciences as well as community members.
The Health Sciences IRB Office prides itself as serving the research community and helping facilitate ethical research that ensures the protection of human subjects. We have an excellent staff that can answer questions about research regulations, consult on IRB application preparation, and help researchers respond to IRB requests and questions. One of our professional staff is on call each working day to answer questions in a timely manner. Please call 608-263-2362 to reach our daily point of contact or if you have questions about the status of your application. If you have specific questions about a notice the IRB sent you about your protocol, please contact the staff person designated in the letter at the telephone number or email listed in the correspondence.
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