What is the key function of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in research?

The key function of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to ensure that research protocols adequately protect the rights and welfare of participants involved in a study. The IRB plays a critical role in assessing the ethical considerations of research proposals, evaluating the potential risks versus benefits to the participants, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines. By reviewing research proposals, the IRB helps to uphold the ethical standards necessary for conducting research involving human subjects, making sure that informed consent is obtained and that participants' privacy and confidentiality are maintained.

The other options involve processes that the IRB does not handle. For example, collecting data from participants is the responsibility of researchers themselves. Analyzing results is also not within an IRB’s jurisdiction, as this pertains to the researchers' role after data collection. Additionally, while funding can be essential to research initiatives, providing funding is typically outside the scope of what an IRB does, as its primary focus is on ethics and participant safety.