Human Research Protection Program: Policy

IRB Meetings

Adopted By: All Campus IRB

Adoption Date: November 10, 2005

Purpose:  This document describes the UW-Madison policy and procedure on scheduling protocol reviews and material distribution.

Policy

I.      UW-Madison’s policy is to assure that IRB members have sufficient time before meetings to review research study materials and to assure that IRB reviews are completed on a timely basis.

Procedure

 

I.      Social and Behavioral Science IRB (SBS IRB)

A.  The full SBS IRB meets once a month.  At least one week in advance of the meeting, the SBS IRB office provide IRB members with materials regarding protocols that will be on the meeting agenda. 

B.  The SBS IRB subcommittee meets monthly to handle expedited protocols with materials provided to reviewers at least one week in advance of the meeting date.

C.  Protocols for exempt SBS IRB research may be submitted at any time and are handled on an ad-hoc basis.

II.     Education Research IRB (ED IRB)

A.  The full ED IRB meets once a month.  Generally, one week in advance of the meeting, the ED IRB office provide IRB members with materials regarding protocols that will be on the meeting agenda. 

B.  Expedited and exempt ED IRB protocols are assigned to reviewers as soon as it is determined by the IRB office that they qualify for that treatment. 

III.    Health Sciences IRB (HS IRB) and Health Sciences Minimal Risk IRB (MR IRB)

A.  The full HS IRB generally meets twice a month on Monday and the full MR IRB generally meets twice a month on alternate Mondays.  The HS IRB Office and the MR IRB Office provide IRB members materials regarding protocols that will be on a meeting agenda four to five days in advance of the meeting.   

B.  Primary reviewers who are assigned applications for continuing review and change of protocol receive the complete protocol file, a copy of the change of protocol application or continuing review progress report, other related materials and a staff reviewer report analyzing and summarizing the protocol approximately one week before the full IRB meeting at which the application will be discussed.  This method of review ensures that the primary reviewers have sufficient time and complete materials to conduct an adequate review of continuing reviews and changes of protocol.

C.  Expedited reviews are conducted by the IRB director as soon as it is determined by the IRB office that a protocol qualifies for expedited review. 

D.  Protocols for exempt research may be submitted at any time and are handled on an ad-hoc basis, usually within one to two weeks from submission.

IV.   Additional updated materials relating to agenda items are provided to IRB members as soon as they become available up to and including at the start of the meeting.