Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers to common questions about WVU Research administration.
Find quick answers to common questions about WVU Research administration.
Welcome! Please visit the Get Started page for basic information about starting a project, submitting a protocol, training, and access to systems and resources. Additional guidance, including videos, is available in the Learning Center.
Please contact the WVU Office of Human Subjects Research (OHRP) at IRB@mail.wvu.edu.
The Concerns page provides information regarding submitting a concern. Additionally, you may contact the WVU IRB Chairs or the WVU OHRP Staff.
Please submit a ticket in the WVU ITS Help Center for technical and access issues related to WVU+kc. (Hint: Suggested articles/information will appear as you type your question.)
The IRB meets at 8:30 AM on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month (except for holidays). Protocol submissions for an IRB meeting are due two weeks prior (deadline is end-of-day - 4:45pm) to the board meeting. See IRB Meeting Dates & Deadlines for the exact dates.
The Federal-wide Assurance number is FWA00005078.
FWA documentation
IRB00000314 West Virginia U IRB #1 and IRB00002568 West Virginia U IRB #3.
IRB Registration documentation
All personnel listed on a protocol application must complete the required training for the application to be reviewed. Refer to CITI Ethics Training for more information.
Training information can be obtained at Required Training.
CITI training (either the Biomedical Research Investigators or Social & Behavioral Research Investigators option) must be renewed every 5 years.
Yes, and to see the documentation please click on the link Adherence to Good Clinical Practices.
The PI and other individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they receive salaries or compensation under the grant, are considered to be key personnel. Typically, these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees, although other contributing individuals without professional degrees may be considered key personnel if their involvement meets this definition. Consultants also may be considered key personnel if they meet the definition. All key personnel must have ethics training through CITI. Please note that ALL WVU affiliated key personnel MUST be listed on the protocol application as part of the research team.
Significant contributors are the members of a research team who do not meet the definition of key personnel, but who still intervene or interact directly with human subjects, or who analyze and/or input identifiable data and/or analyze tissue derived from humans for the purposes of the activity in question. All significant contributors must have ethics training through CITI. Please note that ALL WVU affiliated significant contributors MUST be listed on the protocol application as part of the research team.
Under some circumstances, NIH or NSF-funded research projects may be subject to additional training regulations. Please refer to the Training section of this website.
CME/CE credit is available. Login to CITI, from the main menu where you’ll see a listing of your completed courses, on the right is the “Print” option for a completion report. Select the “CME/CE Credits” link to access a list of the fees for the credit and available options. Select the applicable button for the evaluation and registration. After completing the brief survey, the payment page is displayed. (Payment is made to the University of Miami.) A certificate will be mailed to you.
You must complete either the Biomedical Research Investigators or Social and Behavioral Research Investigators training in CITI. Refer to CITI Ethics Training for more information.
Please work with your faculty advisor and seek their assistance/guidance. Ultimately, the faculty advisor will be responsible for the project as the principal investigator and should be heavily involved in the creation and review of the IRB submission.
Login to WVU+kc, and navigate to the IRB tab and select "Create IRB Protocol." Enter all required fields. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact IRB@mail.wvu.edu. For video guidance, visit the Learning Center.
Login to WVU+kc, navigate to the IRB tab and select "Search Protocol." Enter the protocol number and add an asterisk "*" at the end of the number to list the Active Renewals, Amendments, and/or base Protocol.
In the edit mode in the protocol, navigate to the "Protocol Actions" tab. Select Available Actions, then Submit for Review.
You must submit the application to the PI, who must then review the information and submit it to the IRB. HINT - Inform the PI that the application is complete and awaiting review and submission.
Log in to WVU+kc and enter the protocol number in the search option. Options to Edit, Copy, and View are displayed. Select "Edit" to edit the protocol. You must be either be the PI or be designated as an Aggregator on the Permissions Tab. Other troubleshooting options are to clear your cache and/or use Firefox or Chrome. If you still experience challenges, log out and access WVU+kc via the OHRP website link. Search for the protocol. (Hint: Use our Advanced Search Instructions if you're having difficulty finding your protocol in WVU+kc.)
A cover letter is required, stating that participation is optional. Include this language in the form of a question at the end of the cover letter with the options of “I agree to participate” or “ I prefer to opt-out.” Visit our Forms page for a Cover Letter template. Please note: There are two Cover Letter Templates - one for expedited protocols and one for flex/exempt.
A telephone script is needed when to conduct a telephone survey or a telephone interview. You must inform the participant that participation is optional and that they can choose to stop at any time during the survey. You must use the script for all verbal communication with your participants; a copy of the script must be provided with the protocol submission.
Yes, you will need to complete and submit this form. Note: if all records are from decreased patients, please see the NHSR webpage for additional guidance.
To edit a protocol, you must either be the PI or designated as an Aggregator on the Permissions Tab. Once the protocol has been approved by the IRB, it can only be changed by submitting an Amendment.
It depends. Projects meeting the definitions of "research" and "human subjects research” conducted by undergraduate and graduate students require IRB approval. Refer to the Get Started and Not Research/Not Human Subjects Research pages for more information.
If the research is to be used in the classroom setting to teach research methods, the project may not meet the definition of human subjects research.
Minimal risk (OMR-Only Minimal Risk) means that the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.
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Federally funded research projects, research with FDA regulated elements, sensitive topics, suicidal ideation, traumatic life events, drug misuse/abuse, criminal history, prisoners, tribal members, military, wards of State, cognitively impaired participants, and research projects that include an NIH Certificate of Confidentiality are not eligible for Flex. For more information, refer to the Guidance section.
The level of review is dependent upon the level of risk incurred by participants (i.e., More than Minimal Risk (MMR) or Only Minimal Risk (OMR)). Studies involving suicidal ideation must include the following elements:
The level of review depends on the type of questions the participants are asked. If the questions include general opinions about suicide, the level of review is determined by the risk/benefit ratio. If you are uncertain of the protocol type that you should use for submission, contact WVU OHRP for assistance.
The level of review depends on whether the research is considered "not human subject research" (NHSR), only minimal risk, or more than minimal risk; not the type of population targeted by the study (with the exception of those involving prisoners, which must be reviewed at the full board levels).
The use of recombinant DNA, blood-borne pathogens, or infectious agents associated with disease in humans, requires approval from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) before the protocol can be approved by the IRB. The IBC will issue a letter of approval which must be attached to the human subject protocol submission.
Please reference the Reliance page or contact reliance@mail.wvu.edu for specific guidance.
Depending on the protocol, the application can be routed to department chairs, deans, or administrators for review. If radiation will be used or biological safety concerns are involved, the protocol is routed to the applicable committees for approval. Conflict of Interest is checked by the system and notices are sent for missing COI information. Each person on the application is reviewed to see if they have the required CITI training. If the training is completed, the application is routed to WVU OHRP for review and then to WVU IRB members as applicable.
HINT: The status of a protocol can be checked at any time in system using the Route Log in the Protocol Actions tab of the protocol.
All proposed research projects involving the use of human participants conducted under the auspices of West Virginia University must be submitted for review using the WVU+kc system.
Yes. WVU’s Assurance with the Department of Health and Human Services requires all human subjects research conducted under the auspices of WVU be submitted for review.
Yes, both items require review and must be submitted with the protocol application.
A telephone script is required for conducting either a telephone survey or a telephone interview. The script must be submitted for review. The script must include language stating that that participation is voluntary and that participants can choose to stop at any time during the survey. The approved script must be used for all verbal communication with participants.
Yes, exempt protocol submissions are reviewed by the WVU OHRP and/or IRB for a final determination of review requirements for the protocol submission. Contact WVU OHRP for assistance.
Federal regulations and WVU policy require that ALL research projects meeting the definition of human subjects research be submitted for review. For additional guidance, start with Step 1 on the Get Started page and/or find more information on the Not Research/Not Human Subjects Research page.
It depends. For additional guidance, start with Step 1 on the Get Started page.
Research involving the study of existing pathological specimens from participants who cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the participants, may qualify for “not human subjects research” (NHSR). Please visit the Not Research/Not Human Subjects Research page for more information.
Research involving the study of existing database information from participants who cannot be identified directly or through identifiers linked to the participants, may qualify for “not human subjects research” (NHSR). Whether the database is publicly or not publicly available is of no concern if the "not publicly" available data can be de-identified. Please visit the Not Research/Not Human Subjects Research page for more information.
Yes, please submit an NHSR protocol in WVU+kc. The acknowledgment letter can serve as documentation that the project does not require IRB review.
Generally, reviews are completed in ten business days for exempt protocols and 14 business days for expedited protocols. IRB meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month (may change with holidays). Check the schedule to determine the meeting dates. Please be aware that review completion times are contingent upon complete and accurate submissions. Pre-review of the protocol by WVU OHRP staff is not included in this timeline. An application is considered complete after all pre-review concerns have been addressed.
For collaborative research, contact WVU OHRP. Separate applications may be necessary, or an IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) may be required. Email reliance@mail.wvu.edu for questions.
Banks must be approved by WVCTSI. Please visit the Forms page to submit the WVCTSI HSC New Onsite Biospecimen Repository Approval Form (WVU Build Form). Please contact WVCTSI to determine what biospecimens may already be available.
To facilitate accurate tracking, the system automatically changes the date on the consent form to match the amendment approval date. The expiration date remains the same.
Select Search Protocols and input the protocol number followed by "A*".
For example, if the protocol number is 13111111111, enter “13111111111A*” .
Verify that "Yes" selected next to Active at the bottom of the screen and select Search. The amendment should be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
The system requires the PDF file format to enable the watermark approval information to be inserted in the document. The watermarked document must be utilized when consenting participants.
Changing the review type may change the protocol application type when the review type changes. Different questions may be required to be answered. For example, changing the type from exempt to expedited would require more information be added to the protocol such as a consent form. WVU OHRP cannot add this information.