Fiscal Year 2022
Point of Contact: Michelle Gavin mgavin@nmsu.edu
Established Date: 01/1960
Authorizing Body or Offical: BOR Policy
Type of Board: Standing
Scope of Impact: System
Purpose:
Required by federal regulations to assure adequate review of research activities involving human subjects, and to determine the acceptability of proposed research in terms of institutional commitments and policy and federal regulations, applicable law, and standards of professional conduct and practice.
Authority:
All research activities involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Institutional Review Board to ensure the rights, well-being, and personal privacy of the individuals participating in research projects are protected, while also maintaining a favorable climate for the conduct of scientific inquiry. All research conducted at or by the university, regardless of funding source, shall adhere to the requirements of the Institutional Review Board.
Chair: Merranda Romero Marin / May 31, 2022
Incoming Chair / Term Begins: Joe Tomaka / June 1, 2022
Process for selecting chair: IRB Committee members votes and recommends new appointment and then the Institutional Official - Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Strategic Initiatives who provides official approval and appointment of the chair.
How are the chair and members appointed? Appointments of the chair and members identify, vote, and recommend appointment to Institutional Official - Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Strategic Initiatives who provides official approval and appointment of the the members, the chair, and the vice chair appointments. The composition of the IRB consists of individuals sufficiently qualified through their experience, expertise, and diversity, including consideration of race, gender, and cultural backgrounds and sensitivity to such issues as community attitudes, to promote respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects. The IRB will not consist entirely of men or entirely of women, or entirely of members of one profession.. The IRB is composed of representatives from the colleges and departments most concerned with projects involving human subjects. It includes at least: one member whose primary concerns are in scientific areas, one member whose primary concerns are in nonscientific areas, and one individual who is not employed by or otherwise officially affiliated with the university and who is not part of the immediate family of a university employee.
Are members subject to a term appointment (three years or less)? Yes
What university function/office is responsible for future appointments? Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Strategic Initiatives
What university office/function provides administrative support to this board or committee? VPR - Office of Research Integrity and Compliance
How often will this board or committee meet? As needed but normally on a monthly basis except during the summer/holiday break(s).
Are there any requirements for the number of meetings to be held? No
In the past fiscal year, what accomplishments have been made (if applicable)?
Since the last reporting period July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021, the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (RIC) along with the IRB, received over 1,000 IRB submissions in Maestro. Since Going Live on May 16th,2022 another additional 150 protocols have been entered in the new eRA Streamlyne system. The number of researchers involved in IRB protocol submissions continued to increase with close to 4,500 researchers having used Maestro since it was deployed on February 27, 2013. There were close to 7,700 IRB submissions that have been stored in Maestro. The IRB Committee continued processing IRB research protocols using the Maestro electronic review system as well as meeting virtually via Zoom for the monthly IRB Committee meetings. The IRB Chair and compliance research integrity coordinator also continued to meet with researchers to assist them with the IRB review process and provide educational outreach.
Beginning January 10th, 2022, the NMSU IRB Streamlyne team (consisting of IRB and RIC staff) met weekly with the Streamlyne support representatives to set up the IRB Compliance module. After many months of setup activities, testing, and re-defining processes, the NMSU Streamlyne compliance module entered the Go-Live stabilization period on May 16th, 2022. The NMSU IRB Streamlyne team has since offered training to its 19 IRB committee members on the new Streamlyne Review Process. Initial training to the research committee was provided at 6 sessions to over 150 researchers during the week of May 31st, 2022. Ongoing educational efforts including additional training, help guides, videos, and weekly Zoom offering will continue throughout the summer and Fall semesters. The NMSU IRB and RIC staff will continue to adjust and update the IRB protocol submission and review processes as well as providing updates to the website and Streamlyne system. Currently there are close to 150 protocols in Streamlyne approximately 60 transferred from Maestro active approved protocols. For information on the NMSU IRB Streamlyne and IRB review process, please visit the RIC IRB website https://research.nmsu.edu/RIC/IRB.html and NMSU Streamlyne Support https://research.nmsu.edu/Streamlyne.html .
The NMSU IRB Committee has also seen changes not only in the electronic system used to create, review, and process protocols but it has had changes in the membership and leadership. The IRB has welcomed two new committee members for a total of 19. In addition to these two new committee members, the Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Luis A. Cifuentes along with the IRB Committee voted and approved the appointment of a new IRB Committee leadership team of Chair and Vice Chair. Dr. Joe Tomaka was appointed the new Chair and Dr. Julie Steinkopf was appointed the new IRB Vice Chair, Dr. Tomaka has been the IRB Vice Chair for the last 3-year term in which Dr. Merranda Romero Marin was the IRB Chair. Dr. Tomaka and Dr. Steinkopf began their 3-year appointment as the new IRB leadership team starting June 1st, 2022. The coming year should be exciting given the changes in IRB leadership and the university-wide enterprise Streamlyne system implementation.