Project Submission and Status

What does it mean to Share a Project? How do I share my projects with other investigators?
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 project team members including student researchers, so please be sure that all team members are registered in IRBNet before submitting the application for review.

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. NOTE: Write access should also be given to your compliance administrator who may need to access some of the project documents before it is submitted for review.

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.

First, make sure the staff member has created a user profile in IRBNet. Go into My Projects and select the study you wish to add staff to. Select “Share This Project” from the Project Administration menu on the left. On the next screen ensure that Rice University is highlighted and then click on the “Select Organization” tab. Then, at the bottom of the page you will see a search box to search for users by last name. Type in the first letter of the individual’s last name, any letter of their full name, or * to list all users and click on the

“Search” icon. Place a mark in the appropriate level of access next to the research team member’s name and click on the “Save” icon. Continue these steps until all members of the research team are given shared access.

I want to Share My Project with someone and cannot find them when I search for them. What do I do?
If you cannot find someone within IRBNet, this means that they have not yet registered with IRBNet. Every member at the Rice University MUST have their own unique username and password.

How do I Sign a Project within IRBNet?
To Sign a Project, after selecting the appropriate protocol from the “My Projects” list then click “Sign This Package” under the Project Administration menu on the left hand side. Then, in the drop down box next to your name, select your affiliation with the project (i.e. Principal Investigator, Lab Manager, for student researchers use Other Signatory) and click “sign” at the bottom of the screen. Please remember to sign the package you must use the Password that you created at the time of registration not your Rice NETID password. NOTE: The project must have been shared with you in order for you be able to view and sign.

How do I know if a project is ready to submit to the committee for review?
Before submitting your research protocol all of the following must occur:

  • Completed Application Form using the Online Document
  • Supplementary Documentation has been uploaded to the project. This includes all appropriate forms and appendices.
  • Project has been shared with the necessary users (Please share your project with all personnel listed so they can submit electronic signatures)
  • Project signed by all personnel listed on the protocol
  • Necessary training and credentials are linked to the protocol. ATTENTION: Incomplete protocols will not be reviewed by the compliance committee. If an incomplete protocol is submitted, further information will be requested by the Compliance Administrator, the project will be unlocked and can not move forward in the process until all modifications have been satisfied and revisions are marked complete in the project.

How do I submit a project on IRBNet?
To submit a project on IRBNet, find the Project Administration from the Project overview screen and click “Submit This Package on the left navigation pane.” Then, under Search for Organization, find Rice University. Now, you should see three different options. Please select the option that applies to you (i.e. for human subject research, select “Rice University IRB).” Then select your Submission Type (i.e., new project, amendment, continuing review) and any enter any comments you wish to include. Finally, click “submit.” Projects cannot be deleted after they are submitted for review and are automatically locked from editing upon submission.

NOTE: Please be careful when selecting where to submit your project to as there are three review boards at the Rice University, the IRB  (human subjects only), the IACUC (animal research only), and the IBC (this is research involving recombinant DNA and hazardous materials). Selecting the incorrect board will require your application to be withdrawn and then will need to be resubmitted to the correct board. This will DELAY your REVIEW and APPROVAL.

What is the Lock Status? What does Locked and Unlocked mean?

  • Locked: A project has been submitted and is currently under review by the Committee.
  • Unlocked – Revisions Pending: The Committee decided that revisions must be made to a project. By unlocking, the Committee has stopped their review until the appropriate edits are made.
  • Locked – Revisions Complete: The investigators have addressed the requested modifications so the Committee can continue their review.

Can you Unlock my package?
Packages may only be unlocked for editing prior to being provided to the committee member(s) for review. Packages automatically Lock upon submission. To request a package be unlocked you must “Send Project Mail” to the administrative staff, indicating why you are requesting the Lock to be removed.

Training

How can I get training on IRBNet?
To sign up for training please visit the IRBNet Training  page on the IRBNet Blog, you can also contact the eRA training Specialist to schedule 1-on-1 or group training sessions. Also, there are several training resources and videos available on the IRBNet website to access these documents or view these videos visit the IRBNet Resources, click on Resources and use the following information to login:

User: rice
Password: training

Does IRBNet have the ability to track my CITI and EHS training?
Currently, the only staff training that is automatically tracked by IRBNet is CITI. You can link your Citi Training to your IRBNet Profile by entering your CITI ID Number. Any other training and credentials including EHS Lab Safety Training you will be responsible for uploading the training certificates to your IRBNet User profile. Contact the Environmental Health & Safety Office for more information about EHS training certification.

Does each individual need to upload their own training certificates?
In the past, it was possible for a coordinator to collect and send a stack of training certificates to the office for several individuals at one time. It is now the responsibility of each researcher, faculty or staff, to load their own training certificates into their own profile.

When will research staff be expected to have their training certificates on their IRBNet profile?
Each research staff should load a copy of their training certificate onto their user profile as soon as the training is completed.

Who reviews the training and credential documents once they are submitted?
The Rice University Compliance Administrator receives and reviews all submitted documents.

New User Registration

IRBNet New User Registration guide with screen shots (PDF)

How do I register for IRBNet?
To register, go to www.irbnet.org. At the top right of the screen, under the log-in box, click on the link that says “New User Registration” and fill in the information requested. At the time of registration, use your NETID but do NOT use your Rice password. This should be something that you can easily remember because you will need this password to be able to sign projects electronically. After receiving the confirmation email, you can login using your NETID and password you chose, but the password that you created will always be used to sign IRBNet Application Packages.

How Do I Activate My Account?
When you receive your activation email, click the link in the email. You will be taken to the IRBNet login page.

I registered for IRBNet but it still isn’t allowing me to enter the site. Can the Electronic Research Administration fix this?
Once you have registered for IRBNet, you will be sent a confirmation email. You must click a link that is included in the email to finalize your registration process. Your login information will not work until this step has been completed.

How do I learn more about IRBNet and the protocol submission process?
To learn more about IRBNet please review the IRBNet Resources available on the blog. In addition, training for Students, Staff and Faculty are provided on an ongoing basis. To sign up for training please visit the IRBNet Training Page  you can also contact the eRA training Specialist to schedule 1-on-1 or group training sessions.

I have never used IRBNet before. Is there anyone available to help me with a submission?
The electronic Research Administration has several resources available online at irbnet.rice.edu. You can also register for Classroom or 1-on-1 IRBNet training. Finally, you can contact the eRA Help Desk for assistance with IRBNet or your Compliance Administrator for assistance with protocol or registration application preparation.

When you register for the first time on irbnet.org:
User ID – If possible, please use your Rice Net ID so that we know who you are*.
*This does not apply to committee reviewers. 
Password – NEVER use your Rice account or bank account password. Please use something that you can easily remember.