Antiracist Structural Intervention at the Emory University Institutional Review Board

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research ethics
• Health equity
• Social determinants of health

Background:

• Racial and ethnic categories are social constructs, lacking inherent biological or genetic basis.
• The use of race in research often incorrectly attributes health disparities to genetics rather than systemic racism.
• Addressing health inequities requires improved research practices concerning race and ethnicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an evidence-based intervention for institutional review boards (IRBs).
• To promote scientific validity in biomedical research by critically examining the use of racial and ethnic variables.
• To prevent the unscientific reification of race and ethnicity as biological determinants of health.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a new policy within an institutional review board (IRB).
• Mandatory requirement for study protocols to define racial/ethnic classifications used.
• Requirement for protocols to justify the use of racial/ethnic variables as covariates and state if group differences are being described or explained.

Main Results:

• The IRB intervention mandates explicit definitions and justifications for using race and ethnicity in research protocols.
• This policy aims to ensure that differences in health outcomes are not misattributed to inherent biological factors.
• The intervention promotes a more accurate understanding of race and ethnicity's role in health research.

Conclusions:

• Institutional review boards (IRBs) can implement antiracist interventions to improve research practices.
• This intervention helps ensure scientific validity by challenging the unscientific use of race and ethnicity.
• Structural changes in research institutions are crucial for advancing health equity and combating racism in science.