UNIVERSITY ‘INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDS’ ARE OUT OF CONTROL. “In one study, researchers sent three versions of an application for a proposed study to university IRBs. When the topic of the proposed study was discrimination against short or obese applicants in hiring, the proposal sailed through IRB approval. However, an identical study on discrimination against women or minorities was denied about half the time, and about two-thirds of proposed studies on discrimination against white males were not approved.”