When two or more institutions are engaged in human subjects research, investigators may prefer to have one Institutional Review Board (IRB) serve as the “IRB of Record” to avoid duplicate review and oversight of the same multi-site protocol (see also NIH’s Notice regarding the upcoming implementation of their Single IRB policy). The two IRBs enter into a "Reliance Agreement" that permits the use of a single IRB for the duration of the project.
If an external institution will serve as the “IRB of Record”, the Office of Sponsored Programs will need the following documentation at the time of award activation:
· The Pitt IRB Acknowledgement Memorandum stating the Pitt Activation Date and the Expiration Date
· The IRB approval letter from the external entity
For more information about Reliance Agreements at Pitt please visit the Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) website or email irb.reliance@pitt.edu for questions.