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If you are new to IRBNet, please register for a user account at gov.irbnet.org. Registration instructions can be found here (va.gov credentials are required for access). Additional training resources are also available on the VAIRRS SharePoint portal.
For questions, please contact us at VAIRRS@va.gov.
Christie O’Brien is well known to our Research Community as she has served as an IRB Manager for the CIRB for a number of years, and for a variety of other IRBs prior to coming to the VA.
Jessica Kroll joins us from Denver CO and from Kaiser-Permanente where she was in charge of a national program, and has previous experience with IRB administration in the VA.
Estela Chavez Hamblen joins us from Seattle WA where she previously worked with a DOD IRB medical center, responsible for regulatory support and guidance with a commercial IRB, and responsible for full board operations for two separate not-for-profit hospital health care systems.
If you have any questions concerning VA CIRB processes, please check information on the VA Central IRB Submissions page. If you cannot find an answer, e-mail the VA Central IRB general mailbox at vacentralirb@va.gov or call the VA Central IRB Toll Free Number at 1-877-254-3130.
Purpose: The purpose of the VA Central IRB is two-fold. First and foremost its purpose is to enhance the quality of human research protection in multi-site human research projects by performing appropriate ethical and scientific review while ensuring local issues are addressed. In this role, the VA Central IRB also provides the single IRB oversight required for multi-site studies by the 2018 Common Rule. The second is to enhance the efficiency of these reviews across participating sites.
VA Facilities: Each VA facility that plans to use the VA Central IRB must add the VA Central IRB to its Federalwide Assurance (FWA) and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the VHA Central Office (VHACO) Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). The MOU clearly delineates the respective roles and responsibilities of each entity. The local VA has ultimate and immediate responsibility for its HRPP. Instructions for adding the VA Central IRB as an IRB of Record are also included on this website, as are the VA Central IRB SOPs and forms.
In addition, any affiliated Nonprofit Research and Education Corporation (NPC) for a VA site that has entered into an MOU with the VHACO HRPP, should also sign the MOU and update its FWA to add the VA Central IRB as an IRB of Record.
VA Investigators: Investigators whose studies are being funded by VA ORD should consult the ORD funding service to determine whether their study should be submitted to the VA Central IRB. Investigators who are new to the VA CIRB and whose studies will be reviewed by the VA Central IRB should contact the VA Central IRB mailbox (vacentralirb@va.gov), as far in advance of the planned submission as possible to request an introductory meeting and pre-submission consultation in order to submit the most likely application for approval. Information concerning the operations of the VA Central IRB can also be found on this website under the Important Links box on the right-hand side of this page.