PURPOSE

The University of Utah Institutional Review Board (IRB) staff provides expertise, and administrative support to IRB panels. IRB staff is a link between the board members and the research community. The University of Utah IRB staff is a vital component in the effective operation of the University of Utah Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). This SOP describes the general hiring and supervision of

SCOPE

This SOP applies to the staff of the University of Utah IRB.

DEFINITIONS

1. Administrative staff includes administrators, coordinators, and additional support staff.
2. For the scope of this policy and procedure, the IRB Director designee may be the IRB Associate Director or an IRB Manager.

POLICY

The University of Utah Department of Human Resources determines the policies for recruiting and hiring University of Utah IRB staff. The University of Utah Department of Human Resources determines the policies for identifying, documenting, and retaining formal staff interactions (such as performance reviews, termination procedures, etc.).

Staffing levels and function allocation will be determined according to University of Utah policy, management assessment of support requirements, and budget constraints. The review of staffing levels and function allocation occurs annually as part of standard University of Utah budget negotiations.

IRB staff are not responsible for business development for the University of Utah. IRB staff are the only individuals responsible for daily IRB operations, including the review processes. All members of the IRB staff will have a description of the responsibilities for their respective positions including expectations for performance and training.

PROCEDURES

1. Hiring and Ongoing Performance Evaluations
   1. The Associate Vice President for Research Integrity conducts a performance review of the IRB Director annually.
   2. The IRB Director hires the IRB Associate Director and IRB managers. The IRB Director or designee oversees the hiring of remaining IRB administrative staff.
   3. The IRB Director or designee establishes personnel requirements (i.e., initial training requirements, ongoing education requirements, etc.) of the IRB Associate Director and IRB managers. The IRB Director oversees the IRB managers in establishing personnel requirements for remaining administrative staff.
   4. Performance reviews of IRB staff are conducted annually by the appropriate supervisor.