Submissions are reviewed in the order in which they are received. The number of submissions received at any given time may vary significantly and can affect review time. Also, the quality and completeness of submissions will affect review time. Investigators should always plan and submit well in advance to prevent any delays in your project. Visit the Knowledge Center and review the guidance documents for helpful information about preparing documents for submission.

Exempt / Expedited Reviews

Protocols determined to require exempt or expedited review are generally responded to within 10-15 business days. 

Note: The first response you receive from the IRB Coordinator may not be an approval. It will likely be a request to provide further information before an official determination can be made. See the IRB Process video for a more in-depth explanation of how the IRB process works. 

Full Board Review

Submissions that require full board review will undergo an administrative pre-review before they will be scheduled for full board review. The pre-review will be conducted based on the normal IRB turnaround times. If no changes are required, the submission will be scheduled for the next available board meeting. 

If changes are required, the results of the pre-review will be communicated through eRA. The response to the pre-review will be reviewed, and if satisfactory, will be scheduled for the next available board meeting. Meeting agendas close 8 business days before the meeting. Submissions that are not board ready when the agenda close date is reached will be scheduled for the next available meeting the following month. 

These dates only apply to full board review.