CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Practice Test

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are primarily tasked with ensuring the ethical treatment of human subjects involved in research. Their main responsibility is to review research proposals to assess whether they adhere to ethical standards and regulatory guidelines designed to protect participants. This includes evaluating informed consent processes, risk assessments, and the overall welfare of participants in the study. By conducting these reviews, IRBs play a crucial role in safeguarding the rights and well-being of individuals who might be exposed to potential risks in research settings.

The other options do not align with the primary functions of an IRB. While the development of funding opportunities for research is essential, it is typically handled by funding agencies or institutions rather than IRBs. Conducting research themselves is outside the scope of an IRB's responsibilities, which focus instead on oversight and review. Setting the agenda for research topics is also not a duty of IRBs; they assess existing research proposals rather than determine what areas of research should be pursued. This distinction highlights the focus of IRBs on ethical oversight, rather than on funding or conducting research directly.