Before joining a research project, we encourage you to learn more about your rights as a research volunteer and the risks and benefits of being in research. The U.S. Health and Human Services: Protecting Research Particpants page provides a wide variety of information and resources for people wishing to learn more about research participation.
What is an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
The IRB is a committee whose primary purpose is to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research. IRBs are typically made up physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, physical therapists and/or other health care professionals. All IRBs also have non-scientific community members to represent the interests of research participants.
At the University of Pittsburgh, the IRB is responsible for oversight of human subject research conducted by the staff, faculty and students at the University of Pittsburgh and the UPMC institutions.
Where can I learn more about how clinical research works?
There are many resources to learn about clinical research. Two valuable sources are the DHHS Videos on Clinical Research Basics and Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Patients and Participants Resources.
Who can I contact at the University of Pittsburgh if I have questions about being a research participant?
You can always contact our Human Research Protection Advocate with questions or concerns: 1-866-212-2668. If you are currently enrolled in a research study, you can also contact the study doctor directly at the phone number on the front of the consent form
How can I learn more about research being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh?
Pitt+Me is a community of patients, volunteers and researchers working together as partners in research and clinical trials to advance healthcare. The Pitt+Me News page provides information on the latest happenings related to studies and what members of our community are up to. People can also learn about ongoing clinical trials by searching ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov is a publicly accessible database for publicly and privately supported clinical trials.
How can our community organization become involved with research?
Contact the Community PARTners Core at the Pitt Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Education sessions are available upon request.
Can I become a community member of the Pitt IRB?
Yes! The mission of an IRB community member is to help to protect the rights and welfare of those individuals volunteering as research subjects. Community members come from a variety of backgrounds and are not required to have a scientific background. Each brings their individual knowledge and community experiences to the discussion to reflect the perspective of the volunteer research participants. Find out more information on our Community Member FAQ page.