FAQs - Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a constituted group that has been formally designated to review and monitor research involving human subjects at the College. The IRB has been granted authority by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections to protect the rights, welfare, and wellbeing of human subjects involved in research. An IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications (to secure approval), disapprove research or declare a research project exempt from IRB review and approval. To accomplish this purpose, the IRB incorporates a group process to review research protocols and related materials (e.g., informed consent documents and investigator brochures) to ensure protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects of research.

HHS regulations for IRB membership stipulate that an IRB must have at least five members with varying backgrounds to promote complete and adequate review of the research activities and include at least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with the institution. The IRB at Broward College has seven members, who serve on the IRB for a minimum of three years. Five members are Broward College faculty, administrators, and staff with differing educational backgrounds and areas of expertise. Two committee members are external community members unaffiliated with Broward College. For more information please see the IRB Committee Members.

The IRB meets once a month during the course of the academic year for a total of nine meetings to review protocols warranting a full board review. Please see the IRB Schedule for more information.

Research proposals, forms, stimulus materials, and documents should be submitted electronically in one communication to the IRB at irb@broward.edu. The IRB will confirm receipt of submission documents. For more information please see the IRB Process and Forms.

IRB submissions for full board review must be received at least two weeks prior to scheduled meeting dates. For more information regarding the IRB meeting schedule and deadline dates please see the IRB Schedule. For full board review, please allow at least four weeks from the time of submission to receive a response about the status of your proposal. For exempt and expedited protocols, please allow at least three weeks from the time of submission to receive a response.

The IRB will provide researchers with a formal letter regarding the status of their proposal. If a study has been approved, researchers will receive an approval number from the IRB. Researchers will also receive a formal letter from the IRB in the case of disapproval or a request for modifications in order to secure approval.

You may email the IRB Office at irb@broward.edu or contact the IRB Chair, Dr. Luis Pentzke, at 954-201-2292 or lpentzke@broward.edu, with additional questions.

You may also contact the IRB Administrator, Dr. Erica P. Amorim, at 954-201-5370 or epereir1@broward.edu.

For more information please see Contact Us.