Why a Federal Rule Change Has Some Scholars Worried They’ll Be Priced Out of Their Own Research - The Chronicle of Higher Education

"A set of new federal rules aims to simplify a process that has long frustrated scholars: getting approval for research that involves human subjects. But the changes could result in universities’ doing inadvertent harm to the careers of young scientists, and could reduce the amount of research that is conducted in the first place.

That’s because the rules could lead universities to charge fees for the use of their institutional review boards, or IRBs, the administrative panels that act as checks on human research. Some scientists worry that any additional expenses will threaten work that does not receive significant financial backing.

The concern isn’t just theoretical. In March, Washington University in St. Louis posted a fee schedule that, for the first time, would have charged some researchers supported by funds from nonprofit sources. The fee was set at $2,500 to have their proposals reviewed, plus more for annual continuing reviews or reviews of proposed revisions...."