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Applying for IRB Review

Getting Started

IRB approval must be obtained prior to involving human subjects in the reasearch project. All investigators should consult the Carroll College IRB Policy & Procedures Manual for detailed instructions about the application and review processes. The manual and all necessary forms can be downloaded from the IRB website.

Be sure that all required forms are submitted so as to not delay review of your proposal.

Application Review Periods

Research proposal applications are reviewed throughout the academic year.  Here are the application and review feedback deadlines for the 2021-2022 academic year:

  • September 6 (feedback from initial review to applicant by October 4)

    October 4 (feedback from initial review to applicant by November 1)

    November 1 (feedback from initial review to applicant by November 29)

    November 29 (feedback from initial review to applicant by Feb 7)

    February 7 (feedback from initial review to applicant by March 7)

    March 7 (feedback from initial review to applicant by April 4)

    April 4 (feedback from initial review to applicant by May 2)

    May 2 (feedback from initial review to applicant by May 30)

    For summer research proposals, contact Gerald Schafer, IRB Chair, gschafer@carroll.edu

Required Online Course for Research Involving Human Subjects

Before making an application to the IRB, all investigators involved in the project must complete training on the protection of human subjects, as presented via the Carroll College Moodle course "Protecting Human Research Participants Training."  Contact IRB Chair, Gerald Schafer gschafer@carroll.edu if you have a current certificate from a different institution or organization that might be equivalent, and would thus be accepted as an alternative to the Carroll course.

Each investigator (student and faculty) involved in the project -- including Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators and Faculty Advisers of student proposals -- must be listed on the application and must complete the course.

Completion certificates are valid for three years, after which time the course must be repeated.  Certificates are downloadable from Moodle upon completion.

Application Packet

The first step in the application process is the compilation of an application packet, the contents of which will vary according to the proposed project. All forms are available on the IRB web pages.

Here are the forms that you will need to complete and/or include in your submission:

In addition, all applications will include one of the following:

Here are additional forms that you will also include, depending on your particular project:

  • All recruitment processes, scripts and promotional materials
  • All questionnaires, surveys, testing instruments and other materials pertinent to data collection
  • The research proposal, protocol, or grant application supporting the proposed project, where relevant
  • HIPAA Authorization Form where relevant, see document 4, section 2

The principal investigator is responsible for completing all applicable forms. Proposals that are incomplete, poorly written, or unclear will be returned to the investigator for completion or clarification.  This delays the review and approval process.

How to Fill Out IRB Forms

IRB application forms are intended to be downloaded from the Carroll College website and completed and submitted electronically.  You are advised to save the forms to complete at a later date. Typing your name on the form in the appropriate place, and then submitting the form to Moodle, constitutes your electronic signature. See below for submission instructions.

Submitting the Application

As you proceed, do the following to submit forms:

  1. Download the IRB Application from the IRB Documents on this page (below or under Application Materials). Complete the application in its entirety and also prepare all supporting forms (Consent Form, Waiver Form) and documents (recruitment scripts, surveys) as required in the application.
  2. Upload the IRB application and ALL supporting documents to Upload 1 and Upload 2 on the IRB Moodle page as a single pdf file. Specifically, we need all of the following:
    1. 1 - Introduction to the IRB
      File Introduction to Submitting an IRB Application
      2 - Full IRB Application
      File Application for IRB Review of Human Subjects Research
    2. Completion certificate for Protecting Human Research Participants Training Moodle course, for all investigators and advisers for all projects.  This is required even if a researcher has previously submitted a certificate to the IRB.
    3. Supporting forms (Consent Form, Waiver Form, others)
      3 - Consent Form Template
      File Subject Consent Form for Participation in Human Research
      4 - Consent Waiver Form
      File Waiver of Written Consent
      5 - Request to Modify
      File Request to Modify Approved Research
    4. Research documents (recruitment materials, survey instruments, interview questionnaires, etc.)
    NOTE: IRB Review will not begin until the complete application package, which includes all supporting documents, has been uploaded to the IRB Moodle page as a single pdf file. If you have any questions, please Contact Gerald Schafer , IRB Chair.

Additional Resources