About IPA IRB
Institutional Review Boards exist to protect the rights, safety, and welfare of human subjects involved in research projects. Learn about IPA’s IRB, coverage options, meeting schedules, and fee structures.
- An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an administrative committee designated to provide ethical and regulatory oversight of research that involves human subjects.
- IPA IRB ensures ethical oversight of human subjects research, requiring approval from an IRB with Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) and a local IRB before research begins.
- IRB coverage options for IPA projects include review by IPA IRB, Health Media Lab (HML) IRB, or a reliance agreement with an IRB with Federal Wide Assurance.
What is an Institutional Review Board?
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a group designated by an institution (e.g., a university or non-profit) to provide ethical and regulatory oversight of research involving human subjects. An IRB reviews, monitors, and, if necessary, requires modifications to these type of studies. Made up of IRB staff and board members, its primary role is to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect participants’ rights, safety and welfare.
IRBs operate based on ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report—beneficence, respect for persons, and justice—and adhere to minimum standards set by U.S. federal regulations, including the Department of Health and Human Services Regulations (45 CFR part 46). For human subject research conducted internationally, additional local regulations and international standards apply.
Human Subjects Research
According to 45 CFR part 46, human subjects research means:
- Research: Systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.
- Human subject: Living individual about whom an investigator (whether a professional or student) conducting research (i) obtains information or biospecimens through intervention or interaction with the individual, and uses, studies, or analyzes the information or biospecimens; or (ii) obtains, uses, studies, analyzes, or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens.
IRB approval is mandatory for human subjects research. For more information on whether your project constitutes human subjects research, please consult the Office for Human Research Protections decision charts or contact IPA IRB at humansubjects@poverty-action.org.
About the IPA IRB
In 2007, IPA established an IRB that would provide ethical oversight to international studies that were primarily randomized trials with vulnerable populations in low and middle income countries where IPA operates. This IRB is hosted by IPA and its administrative functions are handled by IPA staff, but it is independent of IPA staff, management, and researchers. The membership of the IPA IRB is diverse in affiliations and is composed of members who are external to IPA. The IRB convenes on a monthly basis.
IRB approval is a fundamental part of IPA’s research quality protocols. IPA requires that all projects in which IPA is engaged be reviewed by a U.S. or a similar IRB institution, as well as nationally recognized (or equal) IRB in the country where the research is taking place (if such an IRB exists) before the start of any human subjects activities. When deciding how to arrange IRB coverage for an IPA project, the options are the following:
- IPA IRB: IPA IRB conducts its own review of the project.
- Health Media Lab (HML) IRB: HML IRB may review the project in place of IPA IRB. Only projects which are minimal risk, involve no particularly sensitive questions or vulnerable subjects, and are not federally funded should submit to HML IRB.
- Reliance agreement with other institution: In some cases, IRB review may be required at another institution (e.g., the PI’s university, or the institution funding the study). If you prefer that IPA IRB cedes oversight to this other institution’s IRB, we will need to set up a “reliance agreement” formally documenting this arrangement.
Meeting Dates
The IRB at IPA convenes regularly to review non-minimal risk studies and other submissions requiring full board review. To ensure timely consideration, researchers must submit all required materials by the deadlines listed in Table 1 below. Submissions received after the deadline will be reviewed at the next available meeting. IRB meetings take place from 15:00 to 16:00 EST on the scheduled dates. Please plan accordingly to avoid delays in your study’s approval process.
| Meeting Date | Deadline for Submission of Materials |
|---|---|
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 | Friday, March 7, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, April 24, 2025 | Friday, April 4, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, May 29, 2025 | Friday, May 9, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, June 26, 2025 | Friday, June 6, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, July 31, 2025 | Friday, July 11, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, August 28, 2025 | Friday, August 8, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, September 25, 2025 | Friday, September 5, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, October 30, 2025 | Friday, October 10, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, November 20, 2025 | Friday, October 31, 2025, COB |
| Thursday, December 18, 2025 | Friday, November 28, 2025, COB |
IRB Fee Schedule
The IPA IRB charges fees for its reviews based on the IPA IRB fee schedule. For more information on these fees, see the fee update documentation. The IRB determines these fees based on several factors. These include staff time and training costs, such as processing submissions, executing reliance agreements, advising projects and responding to questions, preparing templates and customized guidance on consent forms, and recruiting and working with Board members. They also include Board member honoraria, annual CITI organizational subscription for human subjects training, and comparison research to identify fees charged by other IRBs completed in 2024.
Research teams should include IRB fees in every research project’s budget. Consider discussing IRB requirements during the project development stage with your donors, PIs, and implementing partners to ensure adequate budgeting for the appropriate IRB costs.