SMART IRB is a platform designed to ease common challenges associated with initiating multisite research and to provide a roadmap for institutions to implement the NIH Single IRB Review policy (effective date: January 25, 2018). The SMART IRB is an integrated, comprehensive platform that allows flexibility in the size and scope of collaboration to enable IRB reliance for multisite studies across the nation, regardless of funding status.
Visit the SMART IRB website more for more information.
More than 350 institutions have signed the SMART IRB reliance agreement. UTHealth and Memorial Hermann Health System are participating institutions. When you have a new multi-site study and would like to use the SMART IRB reliance platform, check to see if all the participating institutions in your research study are participants in the SMART IRB platform.
If you would like UTHealth IRB to be the reviewing IRB, please contact the IRB office. If you would like UTHealth IRB to rely on another institution's IRB, please submit a 'permission to rely' application via iRIS.
- Start a new study application in iRIS
- In the pane “Determining Review Type” select “Request for permission to rely on IRB approval from an IRB with whom UTHouston has a reliance Agreement.
- On the next panel select other and write the name of the institution and write "via SMART IRB."
- You will be asked to upload documents – please upload the protocol and consent form (if there is one).
The IRB office will review your request and issue a 'permission to rely' letter via iRIS.
