Nonprofit North Star Review Board offers independent model to fix IRB oversight issues

Founders Stephen Rosenfeld and Patricia Seymour created the not‑for‑profit North Star Review Board after becoming disillusioned with the current system of institutional review boards (IRBs) that oversee human research.

They argue that IRBs have drifted from their core mission of protecting research participants, citing a series of scandals over the past two decades that have eroded public trust.

A 2009 Government Accountability Office test highlighted a vulnerability when a for‑profit IRB approved a fabricated high‑risk device study, exposing how commercial pressures can compromise ethical review.

North Star proposes a nonprofit model intended to provide more independent oversight, aiming to restore confidence in the ethical review process for researchers and sponsors alike.