HSPP

DSRB - Introduction

The Domain Specific Review Board (DSRB)

The NHG Domain Specific Review Board (DSRB) is an independent committee constituted of medical, scientific and nonscientific members, whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of human subjects involved in a research study by, among other things, reviewing, approving, and providing continuing review of research studies, of protocols and amendments, and of the methods and materials to be used in obtaining and documenting informed consent of the research subjects.

The DSRB is empowered under the auspices of the NHG Chairmen Medical Boards Committee, whose authority applies to all research involving patients, staff, premises, or facilities of NHG institutions and all other institutions under its oversight. Other officials of institutions which conduct research under the oversight of NHG DSRB, may not override the decision of DSRB (or REC, where applicable).

The Five Domains

There are currently five Domains that are based on broad but related disease groupings. Each Board under the five Domains is made up of 13 -15 members and constituted in compliance with the Singapore Good Clinical Practices Guidelines.

The characteristic of such an arrangement is to ensure that more appropriate expertise can be concentrated within each Domain to assess the scientific and ethical merits of the protocols submitted for ethics review.

The specialties under DSRB are as follows (as of 01 April 2008):

NOTE: For Allied Health, Nursing & Para-clinical research protocols, please select the most appropriate Domain according to the main disease type/condition being studied. Do note that the DSRB may re-assign your application to another Domain upon preliminary review of your application.

Domain B – Two Independent Boards

(as of 01 February 2011)

Over the years, the volume of research studies submitted to the DSRB has increased significantly. This trend is especially evident for oncology-related clinical research and clinical trials submitted to Domain B.

In order to maintain the high quality of review and ethics oversight, as well as to expand the capabilities of the DSRB to manage the increase effectively, it is necessary for the formation of two independent Boards to oversee the research studies submitted to Domain B. Each Board comprises its own Chairperson and Committee Members and will hold separate meetings every month. The decisions made by each Board will be recognized by the other DSRBs, therefore Investigators will not be allowed to submit the same ethics application more than once.

With effect from 01 February 2011, all new and existing studies under the oversight of Domain B will be triaged to either Domain B Board 1 or Board 2. This will be done by the Domain B Secretariat and Investigators will be notified accordingly. There will be no change to the submission process as Investigators need only indicate that his/her ethics application is submitted to Domain B.

Please contact the Domain B Secretariat if you have further queries.

DSRB Contact Details

Correct as of 1 Jan 2012

Domain Specific Review Board (DSRB)
Research & Development Office (RDO)
No. 6, Commonwealth Lane,
GMTI Building, Level 4, Unit 01/02
Singapore 149547

T : (65) 6471 3266
F : (65) 6496 6257
E : rdo-dsrb@nhg.com.sg