What is a primary responsibility of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)? Select all that apply.

The primary responsibility of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research. This responsibility is fundamental to ensuring that research is conducted ethically and safely, prioritizing participant well-being and autonomy. The IRB evaluates research proposals to assess risks to participants, ensuring that the potential benefits of the research outweigh those risks. This process includes scrutinizing informed consent procedures, monitoring ongoing research activities, and addressing any issues that may arise in relation to participant rights.

While some other options may describe aspects of the IRB's functions indirectly, the core remit focuses on the ethical treatment of research subjects, which makes protecting their rights and welfare the primary responsibility.

In the context of the other options, regulating the funding of research projects does not fall under the IRB's purview; this is typically managed by funding bodies or institutional grant offices. Assuring compliance with institutional policies and regulations might be part of the IRB's broader operational framework, but it is a secondary function compared to the primary responsibility of safeguarding human subjects. Reviewing subject recruitment strategies may be part of the IRB’s review process, yet it is fundamentally tied to the overarching goal of protecting participant rights, making it an aspect of their primary responsibility rather than