Institutional Review Board (IRB) membership requirements
The IRB shall consist of at least 10 members with varying backgrounds to promote complete and adequate review of research activities conducted or sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Health.
Membership will include the following:
A. At least one physician (M.D.), who has training and experience in a medical field sufficient to assess medical risks;
B. At least one person with advanced training and experience in conducting scientific investigations;
C. At least one person whose primary work is not in the area of scientific investigations;
D. A legal professional who has experience with the types of issues that MDH onfronts, especially privacy issues; and
E. At least one person who is not, and whose immediate family is not, affiliated with MDH.
Members of the IRB will be chosen from MDH staff; faculty members from the University of Minnesota or other academic institutions; public or private health organizations; and from the community at large. The Board shall include diverse membership with regard to race, gender, and cultural background. Considerations for IRB members include research, professional or administrative expertise, community experience, availability to serve, and an e-mail address. At least 20 percent of members must be non-MDH members.
In addition to possessing the professional competence necessary to review specific research activities, the IRB shall also have the capability to discern the acceptability of proposed research in terms of department commitments and regulations, applicable laws, and standards of professional conduct and practice.
The IRB will draw its non-MDH members from those who are especially knowledgeable about their own local communities and are willing to review proposed research from that perspective. Consideration will be given to the type of community from which the research institution will draw its research subjects.
The Commissioner of Health appoints Board members for staggered two-year terms. IRB members will elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among the membership.