The latest news from the Rutgers HRPP/IRB

HRPP/IRB Newsletter

August 2025

Contact the IRB

Contact IRB Reliance Team

Contact DRAFT Services

Contact Quality Assurance and Evaluation Team

Contact For ClinicalTrials.gov Support

Rutgers University has earned full accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). Learn more.

Reaccreditation Update: As part of the reaccreditation process, the Rutgers HRPP hosted AAHRPP Site Visitors from June 17th to 19th. We anticipate receiving their decision in December.

Save the Date: Monday, August 25th

This is a tremendous opportunity to familiarize yourself with IRB requirements and equip yourself with tools and knowledge for a successful IRB submission.

Please feel free to share this workshop with colleagues who may be interested!

Contact DRAFT Services at irbdraftservices@research.rutgers.edu with any questions.

News and Announcements

The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) updated their Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Course on July 23, 2025, in accordance with the new ICH E6(R3) Guideline for Good Clinical Practice.

The new CITI GCP course will automatically be included under the course options for people to register and complete. Individuals who registered for the GCP course prior to the update but have not completed this course will need to retake the entire course.

IRB Reliance Assistant Director Malica Dock featured as a Panelist in July 2025 SMART IRB Webinar

The insightful webinar "How Shall I Staff for Single IRB? Let Me Count the Ways..." explored how institutions across the country are adapting their staffing models to meet the evolving demands of single IRB review.

Watch the panel here.

Demystifying the IRB - Student Edition Coming to Canvas

A recorded version of our workshop "Demystifying the IRB - Student Edition" will be made available through the Course Registration System in the Fall of 2025.

This workshop is designed to introduce first-time student researchers to the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and guide them through the Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission process.

HRPP Guidance for Those Receiving a Stop Work Order from a Federal Agency

These guidelines are intended to assist investigators who may or have received a directive from a federal funding agency to stop, pause, or otherwise prematurely end a human research study.

Send Stop-Work order questions to federal-tracking@rutgers.edu with copy to your assigned RSP Grant Specialist; you will receive a response with guidance.
Notify the Rutgers HRPP/IRB (if the IRB of Record is an external IRB, notify both the external IRB and the Rutgers IRB Office):
IRBOffice@research.rutgers.edu and
HRPP/IRB Director Dr. Swapnali Chaudhari chaudhsw@research.rutgers.edu

As a general reminder, researchers should not sign any documents related to sponsored awards. There are established review processes to ensure proper protection of the university and your research.

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for information about what is known, what the Office for Research is working to understand better, and how we move forward together.

Consult with HRPP/IRB Subject Matter Experts

Virtual Institutional Review Board (IRB) Office Hours

DRAFT (Document Revision And Feedback Team) Services hosts IRB Office Hours weekly.

When:

Tuesdays, 1 – 1:30 p.m. with IRB Reliance Team

Thursdays, 10 – 10:30 a.m.

Where:

Office Hours Zoom Link

Passcode: 133269

More information on what to expect during Virtual IRB Office Hours.

The mission of the Document Review and Feedback Team (DRAFT) is to improve IRB submission outcomes by recommending and educating study teams on HRPP/IRB considerations and best practices through pre-reviews and consultations.

Learn more about DRAFT.

The IRB Reliance Team provides subject matter expertise and consultations on the IRB requirements for collaborative research.

These subject matter experts are adept at assisting study teams with navigating IRB requirements for engaging in multi-institutional research.

Learn more about Reliance.

IRB Resources

The Rutgers IRB is dedicated to finding innovative ways to support our researchers. We have a whole suite of Interactive Tools at your disposal.

Check out all of our Interactive IRB Tools here.

Still getting acquainted with the eIRB+ platform? We have Quick Guide Resources available for all eIRB+ applications to provide you with an illustrative step-by-step walkthrough of the eIRB+ applications.

eIRB+ PDF Quick Guides

The Research HelpBot is live on eIRB+, providing real-time resources and responses to researchersto facilitate IRB submissions and compliance-related matters.

Research HelpBot provides:

Versatile functionality by including chat search and word-based interactions.
A user-friendly interface with easy access to information and resources.
A time-saving tool with immediate access to crucial information.
An interface to minimize errors during the submission process.

Watch Research HelpBot Tutorial Video

Attending a virtual eIRB+ Workshop to learn more about the updates to our submission platform and business processes. The eIRB+ Workshop session offers a comprehensive walkthrough of updated features, step-by-step application tutorials, and provides an opportunity to address any questions you may have.

Visit our webpage