Busy is as busy does

I have not been able to write recently for the simple reason that the IRB has been as busy as ever. We lost a number of high level staff in the last six months and while always a struggle, it represents an opportunity to bring new energy and personnel with expertise in both applied research and human subjects protection.

The learning curve for anyone coming into a new organization in this field is quite steep regardless of one's prior experience. The work we do can be nuanced and difficult. There are multiple agencies which oversee an IRB at an academic research institution and sorting, interpreting, and coordinating all of the laws, regulations, and guiding documents is a formidable task.

I share this because it is not just enough to have the right number of staff to enable an IRB to function. Trained staff is important. So for those who loathe the time it takes for studies to be reviewed and approved by your IRB, among the many questions which could be asked, "How many trained staff are there?" should be one of them.