<P> In the United States, IRBs are governed by Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46 . These regulations define the rules and responsibilities for institutional review, which is required for all research that receives support, directly or indirectly, from the United States federal government . IRBs are themselves regulated by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additional requirements apply to IRBs that oversee clinical trials of drugs involved in new drug applications, or to studies that are supported by the United States Department of Defense . </P> <P> In addition to registering its IRB with the OHRP, an institution is also required to obtain and maintain a Federalwide Assurance or FWA, before undertaking federally funded human research . This is an agreement in which the institution commits to abiding by the regulations governing human research . A secondary supplement to the FWA is required when institutions are undertaking research supported by the U.S. Department of Defense . This DoD Addendum includes further compliance requirements for studies using military personnel, or when the human research involves populations in conflict zones, foreign prisoners, etc . </P> <P> U.S. regulations identify several research categories that are considered exempt from IRB oversight . These categories include: </P> <Ul> <Li> Research in conventional educational settings, such as those involving the study of instructional strategies or effectiveness of various techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods . In the case of studies involving the use of educational tests, there are specific provisions in the exemption to ensure that subjects cannot be identified or exposed to risks or liabilities . </Li> <Li> Research involving the analysis of existing data and other materials if they are already publicly available, or where the data can be collected such that individual subjects cannot be identified in any way . </Li> <Li> Studies intended to assess the performance or effectiveness of public benefit or service programs, or to evaluate food taste, quality, or consumer acceptance . </Li> </Ul>

Which of the following is the primary role of an institutional review board (irb)