The full Case Western Reserve University Institutional Review Board (IRB) meets once per month. Meeting dates and deadlines can be found here. An investigator should expect a protocol requiring full board review to take 4-6 weeks to process.
Some protocols are delayed because they require multiple full board reviews due to poorly written protocols that require substantial revision or additional information. The IRB cannot approve protocols that are lacking required information or that are unclear. Careful preparation of the application by the investigator helps to avoid such delays.
Types of IRB Review
| Type of Review | Brief Description | Deadlines AND Continuous/Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Exempt Determination | A determination of exemption is made by the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) and not by the investigator(s). Research may be exempted if the research is minimal risk and fits the criteria listed in 45 CFR 46.101(b). See the Guidebook for local criteria and information. |
Continuous process; there are no deadlines. |
| Expedited Review | Research may be processed through expedited review if the research is of minimal risk and involves procedures listed in 45 CFR 46.110. See the CWRU HRPP Investigator Manual for more details. | Continuous process; there are no deadlines. |
| Full Review | Research is reviewed by the full CWRU IRB if it does not fall under one of the above categories. A full CWRU IRB review is usually required if the research involves minors, the cognitively impaired, prisoners, pregnant women, fetuses or the educationally/economically disadvantaged. Additionally, sensitive research topics may also require full review. | Monthly process: meetings are *usually* held the first week of each month during the academic year, unless interrupted by holidays. Summer meeting dates may vary. |