Final answer:
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the committee responsible for ensuring the rights and safety of human subjects in research. It reviews studies to minimize risks and ensure informed consent, while the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees animal research.
Step-by-step explanation:
The committee that ensures the rights and safety of human subjects in research is known as the Institutional Review Board (IRB). These committees are imperative for overseeing all planned studies to guarantee that the risks to participants are minimized, benefits are reasonable, and informed consent is obtained.
The IRB, which consists of various stakeholders including administrators, scientists, and community members, rigorously reviews research proposals to ensure the ethical treatment and safety of human subjects. Similarly, research involving animals is overseen by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to ensure humane treatment of animal subjects.
In the context of human subjects research, the IRB applies ethical guidelines and federal regulations to protect participants and promote the integrity of the scientific process. Historical exploitations in research, such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, have underscored the need for strict oversight and the establishment of laws like the Nuremberg Code and federal legislation to safeguard human subjects.