Question: State the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and detail the minimum requirements for its membership composition as outlined by federally supported institutions.

Sample answer: The primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to review research protocols for potential ethical problems to ensure participant safety and fairness. Federally supported institutions require the IRB to consist of at least five members. This committee must have diverse backgrounds, including scientists, nonscientists, representatives from different professions, and both men and women. Additionally, it must include at least one member who is entirely unaffiliated with the institution.

Key points:

• The primary purpose of the IRB is to review research protocols for potential ethical problems.
• The IRB must consist of a minimum of five individual members.
• Members must come from diverse backgrounds, including both scientists and nonscientists.
• The committee must represent different professions and include both men and women.
• There must be at least one member who is unaffiliated with the research institution.

Rubric: The response must accurately define the purpose of the IRB (reviewing research protocols for ethical issues) and list the minimum membership requirements (at least five individuals, diverse representation across scientists, nonscientists, professions, gender, and at least one unaffiliated member).