External IRB Use

In addition to ECU’s UMCIRB, the university may agree to rely on the review and approval of human research by external IRBs. For details related to reliance on external IRBs see the UMCIRB SOP titled “Institutional Review Board (IRB) Reliance Agreements”.

Central Institutional Review Board for the National Cancer Institute (CIRB)

ECU has been approved as an institution that may rely on the CIRB for review and approval of National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials. The main CIRB website provides information about CIRB including:

• Access to CIRB standard operating procedures;
• Quick guides for information about activities associated with relying on CIRB; and
• Access to IRBManager (the CIRB electronic submission platform).

Western Copernicus Group Institutional Review Board (WCGIRB)

ECU has entered into an agreement permitting reliance on WCGIRB for review and approval of sponsored human research. For the purpose of relying on WIRB, a sponsored human research study is one where the sponsor has selected WCGIRB to serve as the IRB of record for review and approval of their study.

Information needed regarding this agreement and the process for relying on WCGIRB for review and approval of a sponsored human research study is below:

• WIRB Review & Approval of Sponsored Clinical Trials at ECU (PDF)
• Connexus-Registration Help Guide (PDF)

SMART IRB

ECU is a participating institution with SMART IRB. SMART IRB is a platform designed to ease common challenges associated with initiating multi-site research and to provide a road map for institutions to implement the NIH Single IRB Review policy. SMART IRB is an integrated, comprehensive platform that allows flexibility in the size and scope of collaboration to enable IRB reliance for multi-site studies across the nation, regardless of funding status.