Includovate’s IRB is an independent committee that stands alone and is headed by a Chair. Its primary purpose is to protect the rights and welfare of research participants by applying ethical standards to all research.

Includovate’s IRB comprises people from all over the world, including from the global south. They come from a range of genders, religions, ages, countries and disciplines. They may be lawyers, community leaders, PhD holding researchers, psychologists, etc. They are trained in ethical and inclusive research and hold certificates for this work. We have enough trained board members to offer you timely clearances. You are unable to choose who reviews your study as availability and time zones may play a role in the board composition, along with diversity requirements.

The IRB provides rigorous ethical and inclusive reviews of research projects. The IRB considers the following aspects:

• Informed Consent and plain language statement: Do all participants fully understand the research purpose, their rights, any compensation, and why they were chosen to participate?
• Participant Privacy: Does the study guarantee confidentiality, anonymity and proper data protection?
• Risk Assessment: Does the study identify and mitigate potential risks to participants?
• Inclusivity: Does the study ensure everyone can participate fairly and equitably in the research? For example, by offering reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Does the study consider cultural and social norms when engaging communities?
• Tool review: Are the questions phrased in a manner that can be understood by respondents, and are the number of questions being asked appropriate for the duration of the tool and the data needing to be captured?

Includovate’s IRB adheres to globally recognised ethical frameworks, including:

• - The Belmont Report
• - The Declaration of Helsinki
• - Local and international research laws
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By fostering transparency, accountability, and equity in research, our IRB ensures inclusive and actionable outcomes for partners and communities.

Includovate’s IRB specialises in research for international development projects across all sectors. We can clear research proposals done in any country or multi-country studies, where national ethical clearance is not mandatory.