Overview of Institutional Review Board Services

University of Michigan’s Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) provide oversight for all research involving human participants conducted by faculty, staff and students of the University of Michigan regardless of funding source.  The primary responsibility of the IRBs is to protect the rights and welfare of research participants.  The IRBs are part of the University of Michigan Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) which is an institutional-wide program coordinated by the University of Michigan Office of Research (UMOR).

IRBMED provides oversight for research conducted at the U-M Medical School, at Michigan Medicine facilities, or at other collaborating institutions or organizations by U-M faculty, staff, students and others. IRBMED is also responsible for reviewing US FDA regulated research, clinical investigations conducted by the U-M School of Dentistry, some research using the Functional MRI (fMRI) Laboratory and for research that uses Michigan Medicine protected health information

IRB Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-HSBS) provides oversight for research conducted by faculty, staff and students from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses that is not subject to IRBMED jurisdiction. 

Request IRB Support - This request form is to be completed by the U-M PI or study team.

Use the "Request IRB Support" tab on the upper right corner of this form to request one of the following: 

1) Single IRB-of-Record (sIRB) Support for a Mulit-site Study (IRB Authorization Agreement: IAA)

• Use this form to request that U-M IRB serves as the sIRB for a mulit-site research study via the IAA process (i.e., the same protocol/research plan is implemented at multiple sites; such as a clinical trial).

• During grant application preparation, use this form to request U-M IRB confirmation that it will serve as the sIRB for the proposed research via the IAA process and to request assistance with budget preparation (budget requests to IRBMED only).

2) External Collaborator Support (IRB Authorization Agreement: IAA)

• Use this form to request an IAA to add an external collaborator affiliated with a FWA-holding institution (e.g., university, medical center, etc.) to your research study.  Most organizations that have an FWA have an IRB.

3) External Collaborator Support (Individual Investigator Agreement (IIA) or Collaborating Instituiton Agreement (CIA))

• Use this form to add external collaborators to your study who are not affiliated with an FWA-holding institution:

• Individual Investigator Agreement (s)(IIA) to add individual external collaborators (e.g., former student, community member, psychologist in private practice, etc.).

• Collaborating Institution Agreement(s) (CIA) to cover external collaborators who are affiliated with an organization that does not typically do research or have an IRB (e.g., a church, school, community organization, etc.). CIAs are used instead of IIAs when more than one individual from an organization will be engaged in the research.

If your research study is being reviewed by an external IRB (U-M will cede oversight responsibilities), your eResearch application will serve as your request for IRB support.  There is NO information necessary for you to complete in MiCORES.  Go directly to the application process in eResearch.

The responses in the form you choose, along with information in your eResearch IRB application, if any, will be used to determine the appropriate IRB oversight for this research project.

Budgeting Support

IRBMED has instituted a recharge fee for non-federally sponsored research when it serves as the IRB of Record (sIRB).  The fee is based on the number of external sites and the complexity of the study.  You will receive budget information with your letter of support.  Refer to the IRBMED sIRB webpage listed below for more information. 

Email

IRBMED Single IRB: irbmedreliance@umich.edu

IRB-HSBS Single IRB: irbhsbs@umich.edu

Links and Resources

IRBMED:https://research.medicine.umich.edu/our-units/institutional-review-boards-irbmed

IRB HSBS: https://research-compliance.umich.edu/irb-health-sciences-and-behavioral-sciences-hsbs

Contacts