Institutional Review Board

About

The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at USEK ensures that the rights of participants in Biomedical and Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) research activities conducted by students, instructors, and/or researchers are ethically protected.

Mission

The HRPP ensures all human-subject research is conducted within the laws of Lebanon, in accordance with USEK’s core values and mission, and following the ethics of medical research involving human subjects of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, as well as the three principles of the Belmont Report: Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is the core component of HRPP, is the committee assigned to review and approve the conduct of research involving human subjects. It focuses on reviewing and making decisions on all protocols for research involving human subjects. Its primary responsibility is the protection of subjects from undue risk and from deprivation of personal rights and dignity.

Both the HRPP and the IRB are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations, and fostering a culture of responsible and impactful research.

Vision

The vision of the HRPP and the IRB is to position USEK among the leading research-oriented universities with an unwavering commitment to ethical research, where endeavors are defined by focused dedication to the well-being of participants with integrity, respect, and the utmost consideration for the human subjects’ rights and dignity.

Values

Ethical conduct, transparency and accountability, social responsibility, integrity and diversity, adaptability, confidentiality, stewardship, and service to society are the core values of the HRPP and the IRB in accordance with USEK’s values.

Objectives

The purpose of the HRPP is to ensure USEK’s engagement in protecting human research subjects, through the IRB Ethical Committees.

The objectives of the IRB are to ensure that any research involving human subjects is conducted in accordance with:
a. ethical principles, laws, and regulations in Lebanon.
b. the protection of all participants’ rights and well-being.
c. the mission and values of USEK and its Higher Center for Research (HCR).