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Basic Folder Information
HRMRB
The Human Research Multilateral Review Board (HRMRB) is an international board represented by International Space Station (ISS) International Partner (IP) members of the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe.
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The HRMRB was established to ensure that research involving human subjects on the International Space Station (ISS) will not endanger the health, safety, or well-being of the subjects, and further, that all experiment operations are conducted in an ethical manner.
Human subjects research on the ISS must be reviewed and acknowledged by HRMRB members at the HRMRB quarterly meetings. NASA research involving NASA astronaut subjects, with procedures that occur pre- and post-flight (but not in flight on ISS) will also be included on the HRMRB agenda.
1. United States of America (U.S.) Principal Investigators must submit protocols to the NASA eIRB system for international partner research and undergo the usual pre-review process conducted by the NASA IRB Office prior to assignment to a Designated Reviewer (Expedited or Exempt review) or for Full Board review at a NASA IRB meeting, as appropriate.
2. Each IP agency will initially conduct its own review of its individual protocols through appropriate national Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) or research ethics board equivalents.
3. Upon approval of IP board reviews, studies are assigned for acknowledgement at the next HRMRMB quarterly meeting.
4. HRMRB approval letters are released to the IP partner agencies.
a. Informed Consent Briefing (ICB) can be carried out prior to HRMRB approval.
b. HRMRB approval is required prior to astronaut subject consent.
c. Data collection cannot begin until the consent form has been signed by the research subject.
The electronic IRB (eIRB) is the electronic computer software platform used by the NASA IRB for the submission and review of all human research protocols. The eIRB serves as the system mechanism used by IP agency investigators requesting U.S. crewmember participation for their human research studies onboard the ISS.
Pre-review of an ISS identified human research protocol is a systematic pre-screening review process conducted by assigned reviewers within the NASA IRB Office to ensure completeness and readiness of an ISS protocol submission before review by the HRMRB.
Research involving human subjects conducted, sponsored, or supported by NASA must be reviewed by the NASA IRB according to NASA IRB Policies and Procedures.
ISS IP protocols requesting U.S. astronaut participation must be submitted and processed through the eIRB system.
Human subject research on the ISS must be reviewed and acknowledged by HRMRB members at the HRMRB quarterly meetings.
NASA research involving NASA astronaut subjects, with procedures that occur pre-and post-flight (but not in flight on ISS) will also be included on the HRMRB agenda.
