IRB
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Institutional review board |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Sports |
IRB has two meanings. It stands for Institutional review board (medical research) or International Rugby Board (sports governing body).
Meanings of IRB at a glance
| # | IRB stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Institutional review board | Medical › Medical Research |
| 2 | International Rugby Board | Sports › Sports Governing Body |
1. Institutional review board
Medical · Medical Research Abbreviations · also used in education
Committee that reviews and monitors research involving human participants to protect their rights and welfare, approving protocols, consent forms and recruitment materials before studies start and overseeing them afterward. In the US, federally funded and FDA-regulated research must have IRB oversight.
Example: IRB approval received; enrollment can begin next week.
IRBs were mandated under the National Research Act of 1974, passed after revelations about the Tuskegee syphilis study, and they apply the ethical principles of the 1979 Belmont Report. Federal rules require at least five members, including a nonscientist and someone unaffiliated with the institution. Under the revised Common Rule, most US multisite federally funded studies must use a single IRB.
2. International Rugby Board
Sports · Sports Governing Body Abbreviations
Former name of World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby union, which runs the Rugby World Cup and the World Rugby Sevens Series and writes the laws of the game. The IRB name was used from 1998 until a rebrand in November 2014.
Example: The 1995 World Cup in South Africa remains one of the IRB's most celebrated tournaments.
Founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by Scotland, Ireland and Wales; England joined in 1890. Headquartered in Dublin. Rugby union turned professional in 1995 under the board's oversight. The first Rugby World Cup was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987.
Related abbreviations
More medical research abbreviations
- IDE – Investigational device exemption
- IEC – Independent ethics committee
- IIT – Investigator-initiated trial
- IQR – Interquartile range
- ITT – Intention-to-treat
- KM – Kaplan-Meier (estimator)
- LOE – Level of evidence
- LR – Likelihood ratio
See all 94 medical research abbreviations →
More sports governing body abbreviations
- ICC – International Cricket Council
- IFAB – International Football Association Board
- IIHF – International Ice Hockey Federation
- IPC – International Paralympic Committee
- ISU – International Skating Union
- ITF – International Tennis Federation
- NOC – National Olympic Committee
- OFC – Oceania Football Confederation
See all 37 sports governing body abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.