Institutional Review Board (IRB): Get Started with IRB

To prepare for the IRB process, please follow the steps indicated below:

1. Complete CITI training
2. Review institutional policies
3. Consider the feasibility of your study
4. Prepare supplemental documents
5. Start your application in Cayuse using the Quick Start Guide

For a visual representation of how to Get Started with the IRB see this infographic:

For tips and tricks for the IRB see this infographic:

 Email us at irb@nu.edu    

 Visit the IRB Office Hours page

Researchers must complete the most current online training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program. To review the requirements for CITI training, please visit our CITI Training page.

Review institutional policies before designing your research study.

As you develop your research, ask yourself these questions to consider the gatekeepers involved in your study, the possible risks, the benefits of the study, permissions, and potential challenges:

• Is your recruitment plan clear?
• How will you obtain the data you want to use?
• Will you be able to accurately portray and understand what your participants/data had to say?
• Are the data analyses well-developed?
• Will you be able to collect data that you propose?

To help with considering the feasibility of your study design, please use the following checklist:

Before beginning your application you should prepare any supplemental documents that are needed.  Follow this link to find information that will help you Prepare IRB Documents.  If you are planning to do research with adult human subjects, we highly recommend attending our IRB Customized Group Sessions before starting or submitting your IRB application. In these sessions, you can receive feedback on your eligibility criteria, recruitment materials, and consent material for human subjects research. You can also learn how to complete the IRB application. For a survey-based tool to help you understand what documents you will need to supplement your application, follow this link to our Qualtrics-based Document Checker tool.

PIs who use our services tend to receive IRB approval more quickly than PIs who do not.

Once you have completed all of the previous steps you may begin your IRB Application in Cayuse. If you are dissertation student, you will also need a committee approved dissertation proposal (DP).  If you are a non-dissertation student, you will also need an NU-affiliated sponsor to approve your study as ready for application.  Please use the Submit to IRB page for assistance with using our application system.