The National Commission in its report on IRBs 1 08 articulated the primary purpose of the IRB:
Investigators should not have sole responsibility for determining whether research involving human subjects fulfills ethical standards. Others who are independent of the research must share this responsibility, because investigators are always in positions of potential conflict by virtue of their concern with the pursuit of knowledge as well as the welfare of the human subjects of their research.
Additional IRB responsibilities specifically imposed by the Federal regulations are: Determination of the acceptability of research projects in terms of institutional commitments and regulations, applicable law, standards of professional conduct and practice, and suspension or termination of research projects not being conducted in accordance with Federal and IRB requirements. Considering the nature of the federally mandated IRB responsibilities, it is obvious that the IRB, of necessity, occupies an important and credible position within the research and administrative structure of the institution it serves.