Submitting an IRB proposal

The IRB requires electronic proposal submissions on IRBNet, including modification requests, progress reports, and final reports. To register on IRBNet and to access the IRB proposal form, visit: http://www.irbnet.org.

IRBNet training and support is available through the Compliance Office, in addition to online resources under the IRBNet Resources link on the left.

To submit a proposal to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), you need to do the following:

• Complete the electronic proposal form on IRBNet.
  
• Complete a Protection of Human Subjects Training Course and include a copy of the certificate of completion (see IRB Training & Certification link on left).
• Include Letters of Support for the project if you are conducting research off campus.

The IRB electronic proposal form on IRBNet includes the following information:

1. Abstract
2. Brief Rationale and Objectives
3. Description of Population
4. Description of Methodology and Procedures
5. Data
6. Benefits, Costs, Risks, Compensation
7. Participant Consent
8. Type of IRB Review
9. Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic
10. HIPAA
11. Required Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect

If you have any questions about a proposal, please contact the IRB Co-Chairs, Dr. Robert Boeckmann at (907) 786-1793 or Dr. Dianne Toebe at (907) 786-4566. For submission information or exempt review, contact Kelly by email or at (907) 786-1099.

Review Timeline and Review Type

• Full Review: If your proposal meets the requirements for a full review, the proposal will be reviewed by the IRB at the next scheduled board meeting, so long as the proposal is submitted not later than two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. The IRB meets the 3rd Friday of each month from 1:00 - 3:00 PM in SSB 302. If your proposal is scheduled for full review at the next IRB meeting, it is required that you, as principal investigator, attend this meeting to answer any questions. If you are a student, then your faculty supervisor should also attend the IRB review of the proposed research involving human subjects.
  
  For information regarding full review, click here.
  

• Exempt or Expedited Review: If your proposal meets the requirements for exempt or expedited review, the proposal will be reviewed by the IRB within two weeks of the proposal being received by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies on IRBNet.
  
  For categories of research that qualify for an exemption or expedited review, click here.
  

• Continuing Review: If the IRB approves your proposal, it is for a period of one calendar year from the date of the submission. If your research extends beyond this time, then you must resubmit the proposal for Continuing Review prior to the end of this period. If you fail to resubmit the proposal for Continuing Review, then federal regulations require that you cease all research activities pertaining to this proposal until it has been approved for continuation. You should include a progress report at the time of the Continuing Review.
  
  
• Progress Report: At the time of the initial approval, the IRB may decide that, due to the nature of the research, the proposal should be submitted for Continuing Review after a period of less than one calendar year.
  
  
• Final Report: A final report is submitted to the IRB when the project is completed.

Submitting an IRB Proposal to Outside Organizations

If you are planning to conduct research at an outside organization, you may be required to submit an additional IRB application. This may include the Alaska Area IRB, Providence Alaska Medical Center, or the Anchorage School District. UAA IRB approval does not guarantee approval from another IRB. 

If you are planning on conducting research at Providence as part of your UAA research (e.g., Nursing or MPH thesis work), you will need to do the following:

1. Submit an application to the UAA IRB for review.
2. Contact Stacey Medeiros, Research Support Services Manager at Providence, at stacey.medeiros@providence.org or at (907) 212-3629. You will need to submit your UAA IRB proposal to Stacey for approval from the Providence Research Council. This is NOT IRB approval. This can take up to two weeks for review and approval.
   
3. If you receive UAA IRB approval, the UAA IRB approval memo is forwarded to Stacey for Western Institutional Review Board review and approval. This can take up to five days for review and approval.
   

You may not conduct research at Providence until you have secured final approval from the UAA IRB, Providence, and the Western IRB. Letters of support from Providence departments do not substitute UAA/Providence/Western IRB approval.

Please contact Kelly at (907) 786-1099 if you have any questions about submitting to an outside organization.