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All applications to the UWF IRB must be submitted using our electronic submission system at IRBNet.org. IRBNet offers a robust set of electronic tools supporting the management, submission, review and oversight of research protocols. Some of IRBNet’s many features include online applications, electronic document management, web-based protocol sharing and collaboration, automatic notifications, electronic submissions and reviews, training and credential management, and important audit capabilities including electronic revision histories, electronic signatures and event tracking.

Training Videos and Materials

Follow the instructions below to create a required IRBNet account with your UWF email address and submit and track your UWF IRB application.

Step 1 - Create an account in IRBNet - PDF instructions

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Step 2 - Submit a new project - video and PDF instructions

A Tour of IRBNet (30 minutes)

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IRBNet Video video and PDF below on how to submit a New application

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Step 3 - Submit/Link your CITI training

Step 4 - Track your submitted IRB Application - video and PDF instructions

Review this video and/or use PDF below

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Step 5 - Subsequent Packages

Subsequent packages within a project are used by researchers to submit updated or additional information to the office throughout the lifecycle of a project. This document describes how to add a new package to an existing project (Ex: Requested Modifications and Amendments).

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Step 6 - Submitting Your Final Report

When your data collection is complete and you are no longer analyzing identifiable information, you are required to submit your final report.

Glossary of Terms in IRBNet

IRBNet Term	Meaning
Approved with Conditions	The board agrees to approve your package on the condition that the modifications listed in your "modifications required" letter are confirmed and approved by the board. You will need to create a subsequent package within your project to submit these revisions. Once your package status is, "Approved" and have an approval letter listed in your board documents, you may commence with research.
Designer	Section of IRBNet where you will "design" your package. In the left side blue menu, under Project Administration, there is a button for "Designer". In this area you can attach your documents, can find the document library with our sample forms, and complete the application wizard (Application part 1).
Internal Reference Number	This function is completely optional. If your department has their own numbering system, separate from the IRB, this is where you could include your own project number. This number cannot be seen by the IRB, only the investigators.
Local Board Reference Number	If you are submitting an Amendment or Continuing Review for a project that was reviewed prior to the implementation of IRBNet, this will be your previous IRB approval number. This will help the IRB Office link your IRBNet submission with your previously approved transactions.
Mark "Revisions Complete"	Term used when making updates to a protocol that is currently going through the initial administrative review by the IRB coordinator. This link can be found next to the Lock Status on the Designer Page. If a package has been unlocked for you during an initial administrative review, you must select, "Mark Revisions Complete" so the IRB office is notified that your package is ready to be reviewed again.
Package	Each submission submitted to IRBNet for a study is in a package. The ID# is represented as the "Project ID- Package #. Each time a new package submission is made within a study, you submit it under the same main project ID number, but the package number will change. For example “123456-1” is an Initial Application. If the board requests a modification, you would create a new package within your current project, the number would change to “123456-2”. For example, if you are submitting an amendment or final report, you would go into your current approved project and select, "Create a new package". You would NOT select, "Create a new project".
Project	Refers to an entire study within IRBNet. Do NOT create a new project when submitting an amendment, revision, or final report.
"Read Me First" Document	The first file in the drop down menu of the document library that will have step by step instructions for creating a new project.
Submission is Locked	Refers to the Lock Status function. When your submission is locked, you cannot make any edits to your package as it is under review by the IRB.
Submission is Unlocked	Also refers to the Lock Status function. Your submission may be unlocked by the IRB office to allow for changes based on the initial administrative review. Once a package is officially submitted to the board for review or a decision has been made, no more edits may be made to your package. Any changes needed afterwards would require an amendment.

FAQs

Lock Status	Color of Lock	What does it mean?
“Locked”	Grey	A project has been submitted and is currently under review by the IRB.
“Unlocked – Revisions Pending”	Red	The IRB has decided that revisions must be made to a project. By unlocking, the IRB has stopped their review until the edits are complete.
“Locked – Revisions Complete”	Green	The investigators have addressed the requested modifications and the IRB can continue processing.

Once you have completed the modifications requested by the IRB, you must Mark Revisions Complete to notify the IRB that they may continue the review of your application. To do so, go to the Designer page, located under the Project Administration menu on the left hand side. At the top of the page, you will see “This package is” followed by the lock status; the status will read “Unlocked – Revisions Pending” and the lock will be red. To Mark Revisions Complete, click the second link to the right of the Lock Status, “Mark Revisions Complete.” The lock will then turn green and read “Locked – Revisions Complete.”

The Messages & Alerts function, located at the bottom of the left side toolbar, presents a complete history for each individual protocol. Any messages that are sent between investigators or between investigators and the IRB office can be found here. If modifications are requested, a copy of the requested adjustments can also be found here. This is a useful tool in projects that have multiple team members to help keep track of the actions taken on your project.

Sharing a project in IRBNet gives others access to your research. There are three levels of access when sharing:

Signature Only (Read): Users whose ONLY role is to sign off on project documentation should be granted "Read" access. Users with Read access can view project documentation, communicate with the project team and add their signature. NOTE: Read access should be provided to ALL IRB Liaisons.

Write: Users that are granted "Write" access can view and edit project documents, collaborate with other users and add their signature, but MAY NOT grant access to other users, submit packages for review or perform any other administrative functions.

Full: Users that are granted "Full" access can perform all functions without restriction. This includes editing project documents, sharing the project with other users, submitting document packages for review and deleting document packages. NOTE: ONLY Project Owners with day-to-day responsibility for the project should be granted Full access. Users with Full access will receive automatic email copies of all project notifications and alerts that are sent to the Project Owners.

To share your project, find “Share My Project” under the Project Administration menu. Then, click the first blue link titled “share.” Select the University of West Florida as the organization. Then, at the bottom of the page you will see a search box to search for users by last name. If you cannot find a researcher, please see the next question.

If you cannot find someone within IRBNet, this means that they have not yet registered with IRBNet. Every member at the University of West Florida MUST have their own unique username and password. The IRB Office will not create a username/password for any member of our research community. If you have a co-investigator that is not part of the UWF system and their institution does not have access to IRBNet, they may create an account with IRBNet and select UWF as their institution as UWF is not charged for this.

To Sign a Project, go under the Project Administration menu and click “Sign This Package.” Then, in the drop down box next to your name, select your affiliation with the project (i.e. Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, Department Representative) and click “sign” at the bottom of the screen. NOTE: You must be shared on the project in order to view the project and sign.

To submit a project on IRBNet, find the Project Administration menu and click “Submit This Package.” Then, under Search for Organization, find the University of West Florida. Then, select your Submission Type (i.e., new project, amendment, continuing review) and any comments you wish to include. Finally, click “submit.”

All students who are listed as principal investigators, must have a faculty advisor. You will list your faculty advisor as "additional personnel" in your application wizard and share your project with them so that they may review and sign your package. Your faculty advisor will be the UWF professor that will be guiding you through your human participant research and shares the responsibility for your participants' protection. If you are conducting a study as a part of your dissertation, it would be the chair of your committee. If your project was in relation to a course assignment, it is more than likely your course instructor is your faculty advisor. Faculty advisors are required to review and sign all packages their student submits. Unless otherwise unavailable for teaching, faculty advisors are strongly encouraged to attend any IRB meetings where their student's project will be reviewed.

Process Owner	Research Administration & Engagement
Status
Last Reviewed	10/01/2021
Notes	Linked to IRB website for video/training materials
Template	BPL Procedure v.1.2

Made with BPL Procedure Template v.1.2 02/02/2017 See the "Creating a new business procedure " procedure for step-by-step instructions on how to use this template!