Post-Approval
Maintaining your IRB approval
Once your initial application is approved you are expected to follow the approved research procedures and use only the approved materials - consent forms, recruitment materials, study instruments, etc.
It is not uncommon to find that as you start the research some part of the procedures need to be updated (for instance, changing recruitment to include additional methods of recruitment, increasing the study population, changing or adding survey questions). You may have also planned to add new phases of research from the start. It is important that before you start using any new research procedures you first submit an amendment application to the IRB. Until the amendment is approved the new procedures cannot be used. Using study procedures that are not approved is considered non-compliance.
How long does my approval last?
The length of the approval depends on the level of review.
- Exemption does not expire. Once a project has been exempted, the exemption lasts for the life of the research.
- Expedited approvals are good for two years. If the research will continue beyond the expiration date, a continuing review application must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
- Full Board approvals are good for one year. If the research will continue beyond the expiration date, a continuing review application must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
- Collaborative Research approval length is determined by the approving institution. All updates to approval dates need to be filed with LUC through a continuing review application, which must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
Regardless of initial approval length, if research procedures change, an amendment application must be submitted and when the project is complete a closure application should be submitted.
Maintaining your IRB approval
Once your initial application is approved you are expected to follow the approved research procedures and use only the approved materials - consent forms, recruitment materials, study instruments, etc.
It is not uncommon to find that as you start the research some part of the procedures need to be updated (for instance, changing recruitment to include additional methods of recruitment, increasing the study population, changing or adding survey questions). You may have also planned to add new phases of research from the start. It is important that before you start using any new research procedures you first submit an amendment application to the IRB. Until the amendment is approved the new procedures cannot be used. Using study procedures that are not approved is considered non-compliance.
How long does my approval last?
The length of the approval depends on the level of review.
- Exemption does not expire. Once a project has been exempted, the exemption lasts for the life of the research.
- Expedited approvals are good for two years. If the research will continue beyond the expiration date, a continuing review application must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
- Full Board approvals are good for one year. If the research will continue beyond the expiration date, a continuing review application must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
- Collaborative Research approval length is determined by the approving institution. All updates to approval dates need to be filed with LUC through a continuing review application, which must be submitted before the deadline has passed.
Regardless of initial approval length, if research procedures change, an amendment application must be submitted and when the project is complete a closure application should be submitted.