The Health Science Center is joining some of the nation’s leading research institutions as it transitions from traditional Institutional Review Board (IRB) paper applications to electronic applications. Of the thousands of institutions nationwide that have an IRB, the Health Science Center is one of the top 25 to advance to this innovative method.
“Given the spread of our campus, this will be a positive change for our institution,” said Judith Grant, Ph.D., IRB education and training coordinator and eIRB site administrator. “It will be more efficient for investigators, as it will cut down on paperwork and the amount of time spent compiling the information to mail or deliver to the office.”
Although still in its early stages, the eIRB site is hoped to be completed by late spring.
“In November, we began requiring all research applications under expedited or exempt categories to be submitted electronically,” Dr. Grant said. “More than 40 applications have already been approved online.”
The eIRB process and Web site is meant to be as user-friendly as possible, Dr. Grant said. Health Science Center employees and students can log on to:
eirb.uthscsa.edu to check the status of their application, or to begin the application process. In addition to tutorials included on the Web site, the IRB also offers a hands-on workshop twice a week for those who would like assistance.
“The IRB process is very complex,” Dr. Grant said. “That is why we’re trying to make it easier on everyone. The electronic records will also be stored in the database, making them easily retrievable.”
When the status of an application changes, the individual who submitted it will automatically be notified by e-mail to check their eIRB account.
Some institutions the Health Science Center has joined by switching to the electronic format include Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Institutional Review Boards (IRB) review all human subject research conducted by faculty, staff and students, regardless of the location of the research activity, or source of funding. All research must be submitted to the IRB office for appropriate review. Even research thought to be exempt under the Code of Federal Regulations for Protection of Human Subjects must be submitted so that an official determination can be made whether it is exempt.
For more information, visit
eirb.uthscsa.edu. Use your Health Science Center user name and password to log on to the site.
Other questions can be e-mailed to the IRB office:
eIRBadmin@uthscsa.edu. This e-mail account is checked regularly.
