Which of the following best describes the role of an IRB?

The role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is primarily centered around the oversight of research involving human subjects. This includes the responsibility to ensure that ethical standards are upheld throughout the research process. The IRB reviews research proposals to assess whether the rights and welfare of participants are adequately protected, ensuring that consent is informed and voluntary, and that risks are minimized while potential benefits are maximized. The IRB plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of research and the safety of participants, which is essential for fostering public trust in research activities.

Other options describe functions or aims that do not align with the true purpose of an IRB. For example, promoting research misconduct contradicts ethical standards and the mission of the IRB. Networking consent undermines participants' rights and contradicts ethical considerations that the IRB is tasked with upholding. Addressing administrative tasks unrelated to human subjects diverges from the IRB's core focus, which is fundamentally concerned with the ethical treatment of human participants in research. Therefore, the correct answer accurately reflects the essential duty of an IRB in maintaining ethical research practices.