The MRC had established a new Institutional Review Board (IRB), which consists of 12 members with vast experience in ethics, research and clinical practice and they are of medical, health and social backgrounds.

The IRB has a chair, two Co-chairs, and it consists of a medical microbiologist, biostatistician, public health/community medicine physician, ethicist, educationist, sociologist, one community representative, and a WHO technical officer. Additional experts are invited upon need.

The board term of office is three years, however, membership can be terminated if a member is transferred, resigned, showed repeated, unjustified absenteeism, have been accused of proved misconduct, or have passed away. The IRB has clear terms of references, bylaws, and standard operating procedures. The board has regular meetings to review the research proposal from the centre and elsewhere.