An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a designated  institution to review, to approve the initiation of, and to conduct periodic review of biomedical research involving human subjects.  The primary purpose of such review is to assure the protection of the rights and welfare of the human subjects.

IRBs were establish as an outcome of Senate hearing (1972) and legislation passed in 1974 as the result of the unethical treatment of human subjects.  Prior to this other committees existed as a requirement of the United State Public Health Service (USPHS) policy establish in 1965.  IRBs are currently regulated the the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).