Research activities conducted by University of Chicago faculty and students that involve the use of human volunteers or analysis of identifiable human subjects’ data must be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). In SSD, that is shepherded via the Social and Behavioral Sciences IRB. IRB studies are submitted for review via the AURA IRB system.
New Applications:
Once you have determined that your project involves both “research” and “human subjects,” you will need to complete a smart-form application in AURA-IRB, the online submission website. IRB studies are submitted for review via the AURA IRB system. The application begins at the same time for all Institutional Review Boards (IRB) on campus and will be used for all review types.
Researchers or students new to the University may have to request access to the AURA-IRB system by sending a message to the AURA help desk. Include your name, department, University position, and CNET ID to AURA-Help@uchicago.edu and a member of the AURA team will contact you.
Once you are a registered user in AURA, you may log in to the system to create a new study application or view protocol study applications to which you have been given access.
In addition to answering the application questions, the following items, when applicable, should accompany your AURA-IRB submission; documents can be uploaded and attached to your protocol directly in AURA-IRB:
- Recruitment scripts, flyers, and other recruitment materials
- Informed consent, parental permission, and child assent scripts or documents
- Questionnaires, surveys, data collection forms, and/or interview questions or guides
- Grant applications/proposals that support the research project
- A description of the research procedures or interventions
- Any data use agreements
- Letters of support from research sites
- Copies of any IRB approvals or agreements from other institutions that are collaborating on the research study.
After all appropriate questions are answered in your application and all documents have been uploaded, the protocol is ready for submission.
The Principal Investigator (PI) must endorse the submission in ARA before it is sent to the IRB Office for review and processing. Please remember that under University policy, students are not allowed to serve as the PI on a human subjects research study. Thus, student researchers will forward the application to the PI for endorsement in the AURA system.
To learn more about closing and reporting on a grant award, please contact your assigned Grant Specialist or the SSD Local Business Center at ssdlbcgs@uchicago.edu and the LBC Grant Specialist assigned to your accounts will get in touch with you within two business days.
Related links:
Social and Behavioral Sciences – Institutional Review Board – https://sbsirb.uchicago.edu/aurairb/
AURA IRB Training Resources – https://aura.uchicago.edu/page/aura-irb-training-resources