Public health research involving human subjects who are residents of the District of Columbia must be approved by the Institutional Review Board for the Public Health (IRBPH). The IRBPH is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the Department of Health with which it is affiliated. The IRBPH has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction, as specified by federal regulations and local institutional policy. Research that has been reviewed and approved by an IRB may be subject to review and disapproval by Department of Health (DOH) officials. However, DOH officials may not approve research if it has been disapproved by the IRB [Federal Policy section 112].

The IRBPH functions independently of but in coordination with other communities. For example, an institution (e.g., university, hospital, government body, research institute) may have a research committee that reviews protocols to determine whether the institution should support the proposed research. The IRBPH, however, makes its independent determination whether to approve or disapprove the protocol based upon whether or not human subjects are adequately protected.

2005 Institutional Review Board for the Public Health (IRBPH) Schedule
 

Date	Time	Place and Room
Thursday, March 3, 2005	10:00-11:30 am	SCHSA Conference Room 2118 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2100
Thursday, May 5, 2005	10:00-11:30 am	SCHSA Conference Room 2118 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2100
Thursday, July 7, 2005	10:00-11:30 am	SCHSA Conference Room 2118 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2100
Thursday, September 8, 2005	10:00-11:30 am	SCHSA Conference Room 2118 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2100
Thursday, November 10, 2005	10:00-11:30 am	SCHSA Conference Room 2118 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2100