Creating and submitting reliance requests

Any registered user can create and submit requests in the SMART IRB Reliance System. This includes study team members on either the lead or relying site, IRB/HRPP staff, or other responsible individuals.  While we have designed the Reliance System to be investigator-driven in an effort to accommodate the wide range of institutions, with varying research portfolios and research infrastructure, we recognize that some institutions prefer to act on behalf of their investigators.

We encourage you to view our user guide on creating a new request in the SMART IRB Reliance System. The following information will need to be provided when submitting a request for reliance:

• Basic information about the research (title of study, a brief description)
• The Overall Principal Investigator’s name and contact information
• The institution that you would like to serve as the Reviewing IRB
• Funding sources (as applicable)
• Sites that will be engaged in human subjects research for the study, including:
  • The Site Investigator’s name and contact information
  • Research activities and targeted subject populations
  • Research personnel names and contact information (as applicable)
• Supporting documents (PDFs only):
  • Research protocol (required)
  • Consent templates (as applicable)
  • Other documentation (optional)

The submitter will need to collect and enter all information from each engaged site included in the request. Only sites that are ready to enter into a reliance arrangement should be added to the request. Additional sites can be added at any time.

Investigators with questions about which IRB is the most appropriate Reviewing IRB for their study are encouraged to contact their SMART IRB POC for assistance before submitting a reliance request in the System. Contact information for all SMART IRB POCs can be found on the Participating Institutions page.