Our mission is to protect the rights and welfare of human research participants and to assure human subject research is conducted according to 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46 (45 CFR 46), other corresponding federal regulations, state law, and IRB policies.
The protection of research participants at Rush University is a shared responsibility, with the institution, researchers, IRB committees, and the Office of Research Affairs working together toward this common goal. Rush University has two fully- constituted IRBs. Each board reviews both biomedical and social behavioral research. Each board consists of members with diverse backgrounds and experiences and includes members with and without an official affiliation with Rush. Each board meets once per week throughout the calendar year except for Christmas and New Year holidays.
The IRB Administrative Office is primarily responsible for developing and directing the Rush University’s Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), which also involves other offices at Rush University. The HRPP's mission is to be a model program of excellence in protecting the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research. Rush’s HRPP has been fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) since 2012. Rush is one of only five institutions to hold this accreditation in the state of Illinois.
Rush IRB review of human subject research is facilitated by an internet-based closed electronic system called the Rush Research Portal (RRP). The Rush Research Portal is the only recognized mechanism of review, communication, and acknowledgement of human subject research that is used by the IRB.
