Should I participate in a research study?
Becoming a Research Volunteer: It's Your Decision

Mayo Clinic’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Here’s how Mayo’s IRB ensures your protection:

• It approves and monitors all research conducted at Mayo Clinic to ensure the research complies with federal regulations and the protocol.
• The IRB is completely independent of any other committee or governing body within the institution.
• The IRB is composed from a large pool of Mayo Clinic experts, as well as nonscientific members from a variety of areas that have included ethicists, clergy members, psychologists, and college counselors among others.
• Every protocol is reviewed by the chair of the IRB, a scientist or physician, and one of the non-scientific members before it is discussed at a meeting and voted upon.
• Every protocol must be approved by the IRB before the study can begin.
• If an IRB member has a personal interest, or is an investigator in a particular study, he or she is excused from the room when the study’s protocol vote is taken.
• All protocols involving human studies are reviewed at least once each year.

• Should I participate in a research study?
• What is a research study?
• Are there any benefits and/or risks to being in a research study?
• Who pays for clinical research?
• What are my rights if I take part in a study?
• What should I consider before participating in a research study?
• What is informed consent?
• How is the safety of the study participant protected?
• What is an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
• Mayo Clinic’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)
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