Human Subjects Proposal Submission & DRC Approval

Important Notes:

All proposals should be submitted electronically. Contact your department office or the Office of Research Support and Compliance if you are unable to comply.

You must have a High Assurance UTEID to submit your IRB Proposal online.

• Apply for or upgrade to a High Assurance UTEID online at https://utdirect.utexas.edu/nlogon/eid_suite/essentials/upgrade_sec_level.WBX
• For UTEID assistance contact the ITS Help Desk at (512) 475-9400.

Access the UT IRB Research Web site for training and electronic submission guidelines. The electronic submission process skips the Departmental Committee Review process. However, you are still required to obtain electronic approval from your faculty sponsor and the C&I DRC before submitting the proposal to the Office of Research Support & Compliance for final approval.

New Proposal (DRC) Procedures

Step 1:

• Complete all training requirements. See the UT IRB Web site for details.

Step 2:

• Complete the online application. Upload any additional documents required for your study. Refer to the UT IRB Research Application instructions for details.
• Click on the Faculty Sponsor UTEID link. A window listing all UT faculty, staff, and student UTEIDs should appear.
  • Search for your faculty sponsor's name to access his/her UTEID.
  • Go back to your application and type your faculty sponsor's UTEID into the designated area of your application.
• Repeat the above directions for the DRC Chair UTEID:
  • Dr. James Barufaldi (jpb232), DRC Chair for C&I students
  • FLE students should contact Kathy Sowash for this information
• C&I researchers input Gail Seale's UTEID (sealevg) into the "Research Assistant/Project Coordinator - Other #1" area of your application.
• FLE researchers input Kathy Sowash's UTEID into the “Other” area of your application.
• This process will notify Gail or Kathy of new proposals and they will update their department/program records.
  • The faculty sponsor and DRC chair will be notified that you have submitted a new proposal for approval.
  • All other individuals listed will receive notification emails.

NOTE: Your proposal will not be approved by the DRC without prior certification by your co-investigators or approval by your faculty sponsor (student researchers only).

Step 3:

• Check the status of your proposal at http://www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/.
• Once your faculty sponsor has approved your proposal, C&I researchers should submit one paper copy of the proposal (including electronic summary, electronic application, proposal, consent forms, and any additional documentation uploaded to the application) to Gail Seale (SZB 340). FLE researchers should check with Kathy Sowash (SZB 528 South) about the FLE departmental review process.
  • The copy will be forwarded to one of the DRC members for review. This usually takes two to three weeks.

NOTE: Please check the printed copy of your electronic application prior to turning the above items in for DRC approval. Sometimes the check boxes and radio buttons on the electronic application do not print out. You will need to complete these areas of the printed application by hand if they are missing from your printed copy.

• Reviewed proposals will be marked by the departmental reviewer as one of the following:
  • Approved – Your proposal will be forwarded to the DRC chair for signature. You will be notified by email once the DRC chair has approved your proposal.
  • Approved with revisions or Not Approved – Your proposal will be forwarded to the DRC chair for review. The DRC chair will disapprove the proposal and communicate with the primary researcher about revisions. You must review the revisions in person (SZB 340). The reviewed copy of the proposal, with handwritten comments, must remain in the department file. A blank copy of your proposal can be provided for you to copy the revision notes. Make the suggested revisions on your proposal and re-submit it by clicking on the "Collect Signatures" button. You will be notified by email once the DRC chair has approved your new proposal.
  • The Committee should meet on this proposal – Your proposal will be forwarded to the DRC chair for review. The DRC chair will disapprove the proposal and communicate with the primary researcher about any revisions. The researcher may be required to review the list of revisions in person (SZB 340).
    • Unless the DRC chair specifies, the new proposal should be re-submitted to your supervising faculty member, the DRC, and DRC chair for approval by clicking the "Collect Signatures" button. The proposal will have to be sent through the entire departmental review process again.
• Researchers must log in to submit their new proposals (by clicking on the "Collect Signatures" button) once the DRC chair has given approval. This sends an email to the Office of Research Support and Compliance notifying them that your proposal is ready for IRB Committee approval. You must wait until you have obtained approval from the UT IRB Committee to begin your research. There are serious penalties for beginning your research prior to approval.

Download/View the Checklist for New Proposal DRC Procedures

Amendment & Continuing Review Proposal (DRC) Procedures

Step 1:

• Complete the online application, uploading any additional documents required for your study. Refer to the UT IRB Research Application instructions for details.

Step 2:

• Your faculty sponsor & DRC chair should be listed at the top of the Amendment or Continuing Review form already. Make sure all of this information is still correct. If this information is incorrect, change it on the Amendment application and submit the changes before submitting your Continuing Review (if applicable).
• Instructions on how to make changes on an Amendment form:
  • Click on check box #7 to change your DRC chair, #9 to change your faculty sponsor, or both.
  • An UTEID link with a data entry field should pop up next to each selection once the box(es) has been checked. Enter the individual's UTEID in that field.
  • Click on the UTEID link to search for the individual's UTEID if you do not have it. A window listing all UT faculty, staff, and student UTEIDs should appear. Search for the individual's UTEID.
    • Dr. Jim Barufaldi (jpb232), DRC chair for C&I students
    • FLE students should contact Kathy Sowash for this information
• Return to your Amendment application and type the UTEID into the designated area.
• Repeat the above directions for any other individuals (co-investigators, etc) in your study.

C&I Researchers only: Check to make sure the department representative (human subjects research review coordinator or other researcher/project coordinator) Gail Seale (sealevg) is listed as a "Research Assistant/Project Coordinator" on your Amendment or Continuing Review application.

• You must add Gail to your Amendment if she is not listed, by checking the "Other" check box. Type the following message into the explanation area: "Please add Gail Seale (sealevg) as a Research Assistant/Project Coordinator to this study."
• You must submit an Amendment application to add Gail as an "Other Researcher/Project Coordinator" before submitting your Continuing Review. This enables Gail to assist with the processing of your proposal.
• Your application will not be approved if Gail Seale's name does not appear on your application.

Step 3:

• Researchers need to notify their department representative (other Researcher/project coordinator) of newly submitted Amendments and Continuing Reviews. C&I researchers should notify Gail Seale (gails@mail.utexas.edu) in the Science Education Center office (SZB 340). FLE researchers should notify Kathy Sowash in the FLE area office (SZB 528 South).
• This will enable the department representative to update the department/program IRB records.
  • Any co-investigators (if applicable), the faculty sponsor, and the DRC chair will be notified.
  • All other individuals listed will receive an email.

NOTE: Your Amendment or Continuing Review application must be approved by your faculty sponsor (student researchers only) before it can be approved by the DRC chair.

Step 4:

• Check the status of your proposal at http://www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/.
• The Office of Research Support and Compliance is automatically notified that your proposal is ready for IRB Committee approval once the DRC approves it.

View the Checklist for Amendment & Continuing Review Proposal DRC Procedures

For IRB proposal information, see the supporting C&I Departmental Human Subjects/IRB Web pages. Contact your faculty sponsor with questions regarding the proposal content. For additional questions, contact Gail Seale in the Center for Science and Mathematics Education office (SZB 340) at (512) 232-6202 or gails@mail.utexas.edu.

You may also view information about Human Subjects proposals on the Office of Research Support & Compliance (ORSC) Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/humanresearch/. You may contact the ORSC at (512) 471-8871 or orsc@uts.cc.utexas.edu.