Category Archives: Coordinator

Updated Feature: Agreement Checker includes other Broad Reliance Agreements.

The Agreement Checker, which can be accessed from the IREx homepage after logging in, has been updated to reflect whether relying sites have executed any non-SMART reliance agreements with the selected single IRB. The Agreement Checker also reflects whether relying sites have executed a broad indemnification agreement with the selected single IRB. Study-specific agreements are not reflected in the Agreement Checker since execution of those agreements cannot count towards other studies.

Updated Feature: New Document Types on Approvals

Document types are used in IREx to help manage files associated with a study’s approval. For clarification, IREx has renamed Consents to Consents & Assents, and added document types for Grant Application, Measures, Recruitment & Advertisements, and Other IRB Approved Documents. The new categories will make it easier for users on IREx to find their study documents.

New Feature: Email Notifications for Updated Approvals

A new email notification is now sent when any existing approval – for the overall study or a participating site – is updated. For example, if additional documents are uploaded or exchanged, an email will notify the relying site’s HRPP and study team personnel of the revisions and the exact changes are detailed in a table. The notification will bring clarity to the email notifications and ensure sites are aware of updates or changes to their approval, as specified in section 5.9 of the SMART IRB Agreement, “Notification of IRB Decisions, Changes, Lapses in Approval.”

Updated Feature: Getting Started Checklist Revamped

Some steps of the HRPP Getting Started Checklist can be edited after you have completed them. To make this clearer, we added a pencil icon to those steps. HRPPs will see a pencil next to Add/Edit Study Team, Confirm Institutional Profile, Complete HRP Survey, and Validate PI Survey. We also added a “See Status Summary” link on the participating site HRPP and study team Getting Started checklists to provide quick access to the Status Summary tab, which is now available to all participating sites on a study.

New Feature: Participating Sites can View Status Summary

Participating Site HRPPs and Study Teams now have a new tab “Status Summary” tab where they can visualize their site’s progress completing the steps towards sIRB approval. This tab is view only – no actions are completed on the tab. Participating Site HRPPs and PIs will continue to complete their steps on the Getting Started Checklist, which also has a navigation link to the Status Summary called “View Status Summary”. This feature is expected to bring transparency and clarity to participating sites as their HRPPs and study teams works towards reliance.