Which of the following protocols is the one that is most likely to require IRB review?

The correct choice relates to a study that involves direct interaction with human participants, which typically requires review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). This oversight is crucial to ensure that ethical standards are upheld regarding informed consent, participant safety, and the assessment of risk versus benefit.

In this scenario, the study evaluating a newly designed wheelchair involves asking elderly individuals to use the device, thus engaging real human subjects in research. It raises questions about potential risks to these participants, their informed consent, and how their data will be handled. Therefore, it necessitates a thorough review by an IRB to approve the ethical conduct of the research.

Other options involve research that does not primarily involve human participants or raises fewer ethical considerations related directly to their well-being. Studies involving plants, animals (like a chimpanzee), or computer simulations typically follow different regulatory pathways and may not fall under the IRB’s purview, as their primary consideration is not human subjects. This distinction explains why the study involving elderly individuals using the wheelchair is the most likely to require IRB review.