IRB Pre-Review FAQ's
Why is the IRB changing the review process?
This change has been made to help studies move faster through the board review process, because many problems will be resolved before the board review. This will also help prevent incomplete applications from being reviewed prematurely and being tabled by the board. It will also be less likely that the study will have post-board revisions, allowing the study to be approved quickly after the board review.
Will this new process take longer to approve a study?
No. In fact, if you submit complete applications and respond promptly to the pre-board revisions, this should allow your studies to be approved quickly after the board review because the majority of problems and revisions will have been completed before review.
What board meeting will my study be reviewed at?
A board date will be determined for each study after all pre-board revisions are completed. The IRB Staff will then assign each study to the earliest available board date.
Please note: The study will typically be reviewed three to four weeks after the initial submission, however this is not guaranteed.
When will my study be assigned a board date?
A board date will be determined for each study after all pre-board revisions are completed. The IRB Staff will then assign each study to the earliest available board date.
Why hasn't my study been assigned a board date?
The IRB Staff will assign each study to a board date when the study is found to be ready for review. If the IRB Staff have not yet done a pre-review on the study or if the study is waiting for pre-board revisions to be completed, a board date will not yet be assigned.
Will I get a notice after the pre-review of when my board date will be?
Yes. The ERICA system will send out a notice by email once the board date has been assigned. If you haven't received the notice, please check the spam filters in your email.
How long do I have to complete the pre-board revisions?
The IRB Staff will provide two deadlines in the revisions letter that correspond with the two earliest available IRB meetings. You should complete the revisions by one of these deadlines for your study to be considered for review on one of the given board dates.
What if I don't submit my pre-board revisions by the two deadlines given?
The study will not be closed automatically. You should review the schedule to determine the next deadline and board review date. However, studies remaining in this pre-board revision state longer than 30 days may be administratively closed unless you contact the IRB (preferably the IRB Staff member who sent you the letter) to make other arrangements.
How long does the pre-review take?
The IRB Staff have a time frame for finishing the pre-review and sending out the necessary pre-board revisions for a study. Please allow up to 10 days for pre-review of Renewals, and up to 18 days for Amendments and New Studies. In most cases, studies will be reviewed sooner.
Will I still need to complete revisions after the board review?
Sometimes. If a board reviewer finds a problem that was not addressed in the pre-review, the reviewer can still request revisions. You will receive another revisions letter after the board review.