Protecting Your Rights and Welfare
Sanford Health’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a key component of our Human Research Protection Program. The board has one focus: protecting the rights, safety and well-being of participants in our research studies. Each research study is required to have IRB review and approval before any research begins to ensure the study is well-planned, scientifically sound, and ethical.
The IRB consists of a diverse group of individuals, including medical experts, physicians, research scientists, non-scientific members, patient advocates and local community members. Sanford Health maintains three IRB panels for investigator initiated, oncology and industry sponsored studies. A highly qualified team works to support the IRB panels.
Any human subject research brought before the IRB is scrutinized to ensure it is ethically and legally conducted under local, state and federal regulations. The IRB makes sure the study aligns with:
- Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (“Common Rule”): Regulatory rules for research.
- Belmont Report: Contains the basic ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice when conducting research.
Additional requirements are set by the board’s accrediting body, the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), which goes above federal regulation.
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AAHRPP Accreditation
The Sanford Health IRB has been fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) since 2017.
AAHRPP promotes high-quality, ethically sound research through an accreditation process that helps organizations worldwide strengthen their human research protection programs.
An independent, nonprofit accrediting body, AAHRPP uses a voluntary, peer-driven, educational model to ensure that human research protection programs meet rigorous standards for quality. To earn accreditation, organizations must provide tangible evidence through policies, procedures and practices of their commitment to scientifically and ethically sound research and continuous improvement.
As the "gold seal," AAHRPP accreditation offers assurances—to research participants, researchers, sponsors, government regulators and the general public—that a human research protection program is focused first and foremost on excellence.
Contact Us
The IRB welcomes your thoughts, questions and concerns. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sanford Health IRB
1305 W. 18th St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57117