Last Modified: 6/30/2025
The purpose of the IRB Liaison Working Group is to establish a structured, bi-directional feedback system between the Office of the Institutional Review Board (OIRB) and the schools and colleges within UAB. This system aims to enhance communication, streamline processes, and ensure timely and efficient improvements in the human research protection program. The group will focus on operationalizing high-level strategic initiatives and operational improvements both within the OIRB and the research units in the schools and the college. As necessary, the liaison working group will collaborate in real time to solve protocol specific issues.
Executive Sponsor: Christopher S. Brown, PhD, Vice President for Research
Official Charter: IRB Liaison Working Group Charter (PDF)
Objectives
Enhance Communication
- Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of feedback between the schools/college and the OIRB.
- Promptly address and resolve issues related to IRB submissions and review processes specific to a particular school/college.
- Enhance knowledge sharing and problem-solving for review processes that are common across the schools.
- Address protocol specific issues as they arise to facilitate timely review and approval.
Develop a Feedback System
- Create a system of regular touchpoints, such as monthly meetings, between the OIRB liaison and the school/college liaisons.
- Ensure a regular bidirectional feedback loop to facilitate timely and efficient process improvements and optimize the overall review process.
Facilitate Process Improvements
- Identify and implement strategies to streamline IRB processes, enhance the overall efficiency of the review system, and promote operational excellence both in the OIRB and academic units.
Membership
A single liaison from each school and college which conducts human subjects research requiring IRB protocols will be nominated by the respective Dean and confirmed by the Vice President for Research. The liaisons selected have sufficient working experience and routine interactions with the OIRB, such as completing and submitting applications, responding to IRB queries, managing protocol amendments, and ensuring compliance with IRB requirements, and have sufficient authority and standing to meet the objectives and responsibilities noted here. Additional members will be included as needed, such as representatives from the Faculty Senate and the Office of Research.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary liaison between the respective school/college and the OIRB. The liaison is expected to maintain regular contact with the OIRB liaison, in addition to study teams submitting IRB protocols, facilitating training opportunities and ensuring quality control and scientific review for the school/college.
- Attend regular meetings and provide feedback on IRB processes and submissions.
- Communicate updates and changes from the OIRB to their respective academic units.
- Coordinate and facilitate regular meetings with the school/college liaisons.
- Collect and disseminate feedback from the schools/college to the OIRB.
- Facilitate process improvements based on the feedback received.
- Work with the school/college liaisons as quality control and scientific review issues are identified on protocols.