Apply for IRB Review

Getting Started

IRB approval must be obtained prior to involving human subjects in the research project. All investigators should consult the Carroll College IRB Policy & Procedures Manual for detailed instructions about the application and review processes. 

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 2024-2025 academic year:

  • September 2 (feedback from initial review to applicant by October 7 or earlier)
  • October 7 (feedback from initial review to applicant by November 4 or earlier)
  • November 4 (feedback from initial review to applicant by December 2 or earlier)
  • December 2 (feedback from initial review to applicant by February 3 or earlier)
  • January 6 (feedback from initial review to applicant by February 3 or earlier)
  • February 3 (feedback from initial review to applicant by March 3 or earlier)
  • March 3 (feedback from initial review to applicant by April 7 or earlier)
  • April 7 (feedback from initial review to applicant by May 5 or earlier)

  • May 5 (feedback from initial review to applicant by June 2 or earlier)

    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 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 Human Subjects training course.

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

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:

  1. Document 1:  Introduction to the IRB
  2. Document 2:  Full IRB Application

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

  1. Document 3:  Consent Form Template - template provided here is recommended
  2. Document 4:  Consent Waiver Form - also for projects in which prior, written informed consent must be modified; see Request to Modify below
  3. Document 5:  Request to Modify

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. 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.  These are available under the Application Packet above.
  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.  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, gschafer@carroll.edu.
    1. Introduction to the IRB
    2. Full IRB Application
  3. 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.
  4. Supporting forms (Consent Form, Waiver Form, others)
    1. Consent Form Template
    2. Consent Waiver Form
    3. Request to Modify
  5. Research documents (recruitment materials, survey instruments, interview questionnaires, etc.)

Additional Resources