Research and Institutional Review Committee

The Queen’s Medical Center Research and Institutional Review Committee (QMC RIRC) is the institutional review board (IRB) designated by The Queen’s Health Systems to review the conduct of research involving human subjects being carried out by QMC health professionals and staff, as well as students (i.e., medical/nursing students, residents, fellows) from affiliated institutions.  The function of the RIRC is to ensure adherence to all federal, state, local and institutional regulations pertaining to the protection of human subjects and communities in research, as well as protecting the institution in which the research is done in behalf.  The RIRC has the authority to approve, require modifications, disapprove, or suspend and/or terminate all research involving human participants.

All investigators planning to utilize any QMC facilities, patients (persons, records, specimens), and/or personnel for human subjects research are required to submit a RIRC Research Application for review and secure an approval from the RIRC prior to the commencement of their study.

The RIRC has various arrangements for accepting the reviews of external IRBs.

Protocol submission to RIRC: