The mission of the Penn State College of Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to advocate for the rights and welfare of human research participants and to promote high quality research by fostering an institutional culture embodying the highest ethical standards of human research.

The Human Subject Protection Office (HSPO) administers the institutional program to protect individuals who participate in research, provides administrative support to the IRB and assists faculty and staff to promote the protection of the participants of research. HSPO staff provide guidance to investigators in the proposal process, design and conduct of human subjects research; develop educational resources and programs for research staff; and review research for quality purposes and compliance with applicable federal law and local policies.

This web site provides resources and information useful for research staff, research participants, members of the IRB, and other individuals interested in the protection of human participants of research.