IRB

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar reviews all human-subject research in which the institution is engaged.

The IRB has the authority to approve, refuse, and require modifications in all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction as specified by both federal & Qatari regulations and institutional policies.

Human Subjects Training

WCM-Q personnel engaged in human subjects research are required to complete the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) as per HRP-031 POLICY - Human Subject Protection Training Requirement, prior to their involvement in human subject research activities.

You can request for a meeting with the IRB staff for consultation or queries on your research project. The Research Compliance office also offers training sessions for researchers to facilitate the ethical conduct of research. For more information click here.

How to Submit to the IRB

WCM-Q IRB uses IRBNet, a web-based electronic system for review of all applications. It is accessible to WCM-Q research community, IRB members & IRB staff at anytime, anywhere via www.irbnet.org.

The IRB follows written policies and procedures which are available to all WCM-Q researchers on the IRBNet Library. For guidance on what should be submitted to the IRB for review, please refer to the submission requirements for the WCM-Q IRB here.

Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Assurance:

Ministry of Public Health in Qatar (MoPH) institutional assurance and the IRB committee registration apply whenever the institution becomes engaged in human subjects research. Local/foreign Institutional Review Boards (IRB) engaged in human-subject research must submit an assurance to the Department of Research of the MoPH in Qatar. 

Assurance applications are submitted through the IRB office to the MoPH in Qatar.
The MoPH assurance application can be accessed via their website Assurance Application for the Protection of Human Subjects Involved in Research.

• MoPH WCM-Q assurance number: IRB-A-WCM-Q-2019-0004
• MoPH WCM-NY assurance number: IRB-A-FOR-2022-0051

Collaborative Research

Multi-institutional IRB reliance agreement

WCM-Q has entered into a reliance agreement with HMC, Sidra Medicine, PHCC, and QBB. The multi-institutional agreement establishes the ability for either institution's IRB to rely on the other institution's IRB as the IRB of record for collaborative human-subject research conducted at two or more of the involved institutions.

Please click here for policies and related documents.

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York (WCM-NY) Institutional Review Boards (IRBs):

WCM-NY and WCM-Q have valid Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) filed with the United States Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP). At the same time, both have valid assurances with the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar. WCM-NY and WCM-Q have written agreements to manage the regulatory oversight of research projects involving human subjects that are conducted jointly between faculty members. This agreement was initiated to facilitate collaboration and avoid the duplication of IRB reviews. WCM-Q's IRB serves as the IRB of record in most of the collaborative work that takes place in Qatar. However, in some instances WCM-NY's IRB review may be warranted. The IRB offices in Qatar and New York will guide the investigators through the process. Close coordination between both offices take place to facilitate review and shorten the turnaround time.

For more information please contact the IRB office at irb@qatar-med.corrnell.edu

Federal wide assurance (FWA) Number: FWA00029302

IRB Meetings Calendar

IRB meeting calendar for 2023

I am a research participant and need to report a concern

If you are a research participant and have a complaint about your research project or have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the IRB Office at irb@qatar-med.cornell.edu  or call the office on +974 44928960 from Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. You can also access direct contact information on our contacts page.
Your private information will remain confidential and be known only to the persons who will deal with your compliant.

FAQs

To access FAQS please click here

Resources

MoPH in Qatar Human Research Policies & Regulations

Office for Human Research Protections – Belmont report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations at 21 CFR parts 50 and 56 for clinical trails

The current International Conference on Harmonization E-6 Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP-E6)