Updated E-IRB Feature!
"Application Section" and "All" Comments
As most of us can attest to, life in 2020 has been very different, but one thing that remained unchanged was the dedication to continually improving E-IRB by Research Information Services (RIS) and the Office of Research Integrity (ORI). There were nine system updates implemented over the last year to promote a positive user experience including bug fixes, system stability and speed enhancements, and adding new features.

The most recent update on December 9, 2020, involved an overhaul on the section comments in the application. This overhaul is the first step in reconfiguring how comments are managed in the application, and eventually for Notes on Other Reviews as well (Protocol Violations, Unanticipated Problems, Deviations/Exceptions).  
Application Section Comments:
  • You will note the Comment button at the top right of an application section now indicates if there are any unresolved comments and if so, how many. 
  • Once the comment window is opened, the user has the ability to indicate whether a comment has been resolved. If the comment has been marked resolved, the resolved comment will display under a separate tab for Resolved Comments after the comment pop-up window has been refreshed. This allows comments that still need to be addressed to remain in the default “Unresolved” view.
  • To view Resolved Comments, click on the tab titled “Resolved Comments”; toggle back to Unresolved Comments by clicking on the tab with that title.
  • Comments can only be edited by the individual who inserted the comment.
  • For now, any user (Researcher, ORI, IRB) can indicate a comment has been addressed by clicking the “resolved” checkbox. Likewise, any user can uncheck-mark the “resolved” checkbox if the comment is deemed not truly addressed. There might be restrictions implemented at a later date on who can use the “resolved” checkbox.
  • The rules for who can view whose comment have not changed –
  • Researcher comments can be seen by study personnel associated with the application, as well as ORI and the IRB;
  • IRB comments can only be seen by IRB members and ORI staff;
  • ORI has the ability to assign who can view their comment (PI-only, IRB-only, or both PI and IRB).
  • To add a comment, just click the “ + New Comment” button; in the window that pops up, insert your comment and click “Add Comment” to save it.
All Comments:
The format of view-only “All Comments” remains largely unchanged at this time, but you will notice the ability to filter all the comments by resolved vs. unresolved:
We hope this new feature increases efficiency in responding to requested information and revisions, but please know we expect even more improvements in 2021.

Best wishes for a happy, safe, and HEALTHY holiday break.