Option 1: Designate a Single IRB (sIRB) as the Overseeing Body

Most IRBs have a procedure in place to either assume oversight responsibility for inter-institutional collaborations. This generally involves completing an IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA). Bucknell has a standard form for such agreements, in two versions:

Investigators wishing to pursue this option should make an initial decision about which institution’s IRB should be the overseeing body and confirm with their respective IRB chairs that this is acceptable for their project. Once initial approval has been given, the investigators should complete the details of the form and secure signatures from the relevant signatory officials (for Bucknell, this is the Provost; the IRB chair will facilitate this process). If an institution would prefer to use a different format of agreement, please reach out to the IRB chair for confirmation that such an agreement is possible (this may need to be confirmed by Bucknell’s General Counsel).

Option 2: Pursue Parallel IRB Approval

The other option for inter-institutional collaboration is for each investigator to pursue parallel IRB approval processes at their respective institutions. This can be useful for complex projects that involve a division of labor (e.g., different aspects or phases of the project being undertaken at each institution); it might also be expedient for simple low-risk projects expected to be approved as “exempt” in cases where executing an IAA might take longer. The disadvantage of this option is that any changes to the project would have to be approved by both IRBs in parallel.