Submitting an Application
To request the latest application for human subjects research, addendum application and/or extension application, please contact the Institutional Contact of IRB at IRB@iona.edu.
Completed applications should be submitted electronically with all necessary appendices (informed consent, debriefing, surveys, marketing materials, etc.) in one file via email to IRB@iona.edu. Please put "IRB" in the subject line of the email.
Once an application is approved by the IRB, the applicant cannot begin data collection until a signed hard copy of the final approved application is submitted to the Institutional Contact in the Office of Grants & Sponsored Programs on the first floor of McSpedon Hall.
Process Guide: IRB Application
Deadlines
Expedited, Exempt, and Biological Specimens applications may be submitted at any time.
Full Review applications must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the next IRB meeting in order to be considered at that meeting.
Tips for Efficient Review
Applicants should read the application instructions and review the sample documents prior to completing an application. Applicants proposing online data collection should review the section describing the special requirements for online research.
All boxes within the application require a response, even if that response is "No" or "N/A." Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will be returned for completion.
Please complete the form electronically. Please do not provide a handwritten application form.
It is understood that electronic copies will appear unsigned. Do not scan and include the Assurances page, it makes the document unnecessarily large. You can sign the final hard copy after the application is approved.
The application and all supporting material should be submitted as a single Word or PDF file. A PDF editor, such as Sejda PDF Desktop, may be used to combine all files into a single PDF.
Supporting materials should be submitted with the instructions and layout that will be presented to participants. It is acceptable to include a title for supporting materials that will be removed prior to presentation to the participants. Photographs and other graphical materials should be submitted in a compressed format, if possible.
If "track changes" or other electronic highlighting techniques have been used during the preparation of the application (or during the revision of an application), they should be removed prior to submission (or re-submission).
Review Process
An electronic notice will be sent to the applicant when the review process has begun. It is the goal of the IRB to provide a report of the review outcome as quickly as possible, usually within two weeks of the receipt of a completed electronic application, assuming the application qualifies for expedited status. The timeline for review of expedited applications may be longer if the application is received outside the regularly scheduled fall or spring semesters (or very near the end of either) or if there are other factors that slow down the review process. The timeline for determination of exempt status is typically shorter, while the timeline for applications that require review by the entire Board (“full review”) are dictated by the Board’s meeting schedule.
The outcome of the review will be sent to the applicant by the Institutional Contact with a clear indication of whether the research is acceptable in its current form or whether the Board is requesting modifications. Recommended changes are typically included. In the vast majority of cases, the Board does not prohibit research, but rather requests that changes be undertaken to comply with ethical standards.
The applicant may appeal a decision by the Board. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Institutional Contact and the Provost; the applicant should describe the contested issue(s) and the basis for their disagreement with the Board.
Notification
Researchers are notified by email that his/her application has been approved. An official approval form is filed with the Institutional Contact. If the researcher needs a copy of the approval form, he/she/they may request it from the Institutional Contact.