I want to use SMART IRB for a study I am conducting, what do I do?

If your institution has not signed up for SMART IRB, it will need to do so by signing a Joinder Agreement (see the FAQs about How to Join SMART IRB) and await activation before proceeding.

The lead principal investigator (generally the initiating or funding principal investigator) (“Overall PI”) should make a request to the SMART IRB Point of Contact (POC) of the Participating Institution of his/her primary employment or affiliation regarding reliant review for the study. The POC will need to determine if the SMART IRB Agreement and SMART IRB Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are appropriate to use for a reliant review request related to a research study. As needed, the POC at the institution receiving the reliant review request will consult with the POCs of other involved Participating Institutions to determine whether the research is appropriate for ceded review and, if so, to identify the Reviewing IRB and applicable SOPs that will be followed.

In some cases, such as studies conducted under a network or certain consortia, a specific Reviewing IRB may be required as a condition of participating in the research. Otherwise, no Participating Institution involved in the research is required to participate in the ceded review. If one or more institutions decline to participate in the ceded review, the other institutions may still participate in the research (unless ceding review to a particular IRB is a condition of a grant or network participation).