The purpose of the IRB includes which of the following?

• A. Safeguard rights and welfare of participants and protect investigators and the university from lawsuits
• B. Ensure the study achieves statistical significance
• C. Recruit participants for the study
• D. Directly fund the research projects

Answer: (A)

Protecting participants' rights and welfare and ensuring ethical conduct and regulatory compliance are the key duties of an IRB. Before any human-subject study begins, the IRB reviews the protocol to confirm that risks are minimized and reasonable in relation to potential benefits, that informed consent is clear and voluntary, that participants’ privacy and confidentiality are protected, and that participants can withdraw at any time without penalty. This oversight helps safeguard individuals and also keeps the research team and institution aligned with legal and ethical standards, reducing the likelihood of harm and liability. The other options miss the IRB’s focus: statistical significance is a design/analysis concern handled by researchers, not by the IRB; recruitment is conducted by the research team, not the IRB; and funding decisions are made by sponsors or grant offices, not by the IRB.