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IRBNet TOPICS
Action: You Spoke, We Listened
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Question 1: We received feedback regarding the outside compensation question in the Study Tracking Team (STT) wizard to clarify if outside compensation question is related to the research project that the wizard is connected to.
Question 2: Continuing Review and Annual Report reminders are too general and lead to confusion on submission requirements.
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Answer 1: We updated the language in the Study Tracking Team wizard to state clearly that we are asking about outside compensation related to the project the wizard is connected to. The language was updated to the following “If salaried by VA, does the VA employee also receive outside compensation directly from a VA non-profit corporation or affiliate for this research project?”
Answer 2: Reminder messages may be customized based on your local submission procedures. Remember, Continuing Review reminders are sent to Active projects with a Project Expiration Date. Annual Report reminders are sent to projects with a Next Report Due date.
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Reminder: The new Study Team Tracking (STT) wizard is available in the IRBNet as of December 11, 2023. The wizard outline is posted on the VAIRRS SharePoint portal under the ORPP&E Standard Form Library menu option. The personnel tracking data previously collected in the Project Cover Sheet (PCS) wizard will be collected in the STT wizard. The Outside Compensation and Financial Conflict of Interest responses will be collected in the STT wizard.
Study teams will be required to complete the new STT wizard for new submissions and to report changes in study team members.
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Wizard
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Summary
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When to complete
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IRB Information Sheet (IIS)
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Changes to wizard logic. Refer to VAIRRS SharePoint or IRBNet sandbox to view revised wizard.
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New submissions and changes to previously completed IIS submissions.
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Project Cover Sheet
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Removed personnel sections. Refer to VAIRRS SharePoint or IRBNet sandbox (after 12/11) to view revised wizard.
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New submissions and changes to study characteristics for previously completed PCS submissions. Changes to study team are captured in new Study Team Tracking wizard.
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Study Team Tracking
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Captures investigator and study team details. Refer to VAIRRS SharePoint or IRBNet sandbox (after 12/11) to view new wizard.
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New submissions and changes to study team for previously completed PCS submissions.
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The first expired email notification was sent on December 12, 2023. Thank you all for your receptiveness and feedback. Please note that the expired email notification was sent to contacts that are on the Research Office Contact Verification List on SharePoint.
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ACTION REQUESTED: We need your help with reviewing suggested changes to the VAIRRS New Administrator Onboarding Checklist in VAIRRS University. This checklist is intended to help facilitate the orientation process for new administrators to the essential functions of VAIRRS and IRBNet. Please review the checklist located in VAIRRS University under the VAIRRS Spotlight “What’s New?” section and send your feedback to the VAIRRS Support Team inbox at VAIRRS@va.gov.
VAIRRS University added three new “How-To” guides for researchers, IACUC administrators, and IACUC reviewers who provide oversight of VA research with animals in IRBNet. Users can access the documents within VAIRRS University either by selecting the role or navigating through the “Additional Resources” section under the “Training Material Categories.”
Note that these documents are dated, so that it will be easy to track when new versions are released. These documents will also be posted on the VA Animal Research website.
2023 11 29 VAIRRS Step-by-Step IACUC Admin.pdf
2023 11 29 VAIRRS Step-by-Step IACUC Reviewer.pdf
2023 11 29 VAIRRS Step-by-Step Researcher.pdf
If you would like to learn more about VAIRRS University, the recording of the VAIRRS University walk-through webinar is available. The presentation is led by VAIRRS experts who dive into the details of the new training library.
If you have questions about VAIRRS University, please contact the VAIRRS Support Team at VAIRRS@va.gov.
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 The VAIRRS Mentor Program currently has four team members from various roles across the VA providing mentorship, with a backlog of mentees awaiting the availability of a mentor.
We currently have 12 mentor vacancies. Please let us know if you would like to nominate a potential VAIRRS Mentor. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until all mentor slots are filled.
If you are interested in helping fellow VAIRRS users, you can access the mentor application via the VAIRRS Mentor Program SharePoint page.
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Reminder: New Project Submission Forms were the latest forms to be revised and were released on October 25, 2023. All New Project Submission Forms must be used as of January 2, 2024. Prior to using these new forms, please read the Summary of Changes – CIRB New Project Forms for a detailed list of forms and process changes. For additional information regarding these changes, you may also refer to the VAIRRS webinar from October 24, 2023, titled “CIRB Forms and Process Updates.”
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At the end of 2023, the VAIRRS Support Team incorporated a standard numbering catalogue system into the existing naming convention used for all forms within IRBNet and SharePoint. Most forms in the library already used the numbering catalogue system, but it has now been implemented across the board to improve user navigation within the library.
During the first half of the new year, the VAIRRS Support Team will be performing a retrospective functional audit of all documents that comprise the Standard Form Library within the VAIRRS SharePoint and IRBNet. The purpose of this audit is to assess aspects of document functionality and make updates as needed to ensure users have access to high-quality, standardized forms and templates. This will include migrating existing forms and templates into a new document format.
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The Field Staff Reporting (FSR) dashboard is being updated to capture data from the Study Team Tracking wizard. Please continue to follow newsletters for announcements on these changes. Upcoming highlights include:
Version 2.02
- Inclusion of new STT progress data for each site
- Consolidation of all progress tracking (PCS, IIS, and STT) to one page
Version 2.10
- Inclusion of all historical data points for Review Tracking page (and not only a 5-month or 1-year lookback)
- Updates to dashboard based on updated STT wizards to include PI data
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The VA Electronic Determination Aid (VAEDA) is available for all VA facilities. You can access VAEDA here.
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VAIRRS is reorganizing its approach to webinars to provide more effective valuable information to the field. Tune in to VAIRRS newsletters, program updates, and the learning calendar on the VAIRRS SharePoint to see when our next webinar will be scheduled.
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IRBNet support is available at govsupport@irbnet.org for technical issues and questions related to IRBNet. For regulatory questions or questions about processes subject to regulatory guidance, visit the ORD FAQs page and use the search tools to find the answer. If you still need help, email VAIRRS@va.gov. The VAIRRS User Group Listserv is also available if you would like to reach out to other users. Email the VAIRRS team to be added to the listserv.
Training resources and the VAIRRS Toolkit are available on the VAIRRS SharePoint portal.
The VAIRRS Change Control Board meets monthly to review requested changes and potential new forms and letter templates. If you wish to submit a change request, visit the VAIRRS CCB Request Form. Reminder: It is expected that all VAIRRS sites will use the standard library and supplement with local forms as necessary. The Project Cover Sheet, IRB Information Sheet, and Study Team Tracking wizards must be completed at the next study event as soon as possible.
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Thank you,
VAIRRS Support Team
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