Finally, there are biobanks that aggregate data and/or samples collected with contributor consent to research and the consent process did address return of IFs and IRRs. Our research suggests that many, though not all, of the biobanks that have addressed return of IFs and IRRs in their consent process have done so by stating that they will not return any IFs or IRRs.3 Some of these biobanks took this position before the last few years of scholarship, dialogue, and research on return of IFs and IRRs and development of approaches for return. Other biobanks may have taken this position more recently. Where the consent specifically stated that no IFs or IRRs should be returned and contributors agreed to research use of their data and/or samples on those terms, it is difficult to argue for return, unless the biobank (probably in coordination with the primary researcher) finds it feasible and ethically appropriate to recontact the population of contributors or those with potentially returnable IFs or IRRs to determine whether they actually do prefer recontact and return.
