Institutional Partnerships


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Subject protection is of critical importance, yet every day institutions are being asked to do more with less. IRBs within institutions are looking for ways that they can expand their current capacity and improve their review cycle timelines without increasing costs. Some institutions are looking for secondary supplier alternatives while others are looking to focus on research and outsource the IRB function all together.

Quorum Review IRB can help. Quorum is an AAHRPP accredited independent ethics review board that offers customized processes for the ethics review of institutional research.

And in a world in which budgets are shrinking, Quorum Review offers the efficiencies and reliability of one of the largest ethics review organizations in the nation.

Quorum is committed to our relationships with institutions. To that end, Quorum has developed an Institutional Start-Up Package. The goal of this package is to make it easy for you and your institution to establish a relationship with Quorum Review. Once the relationship is established, we can work with your institution when you are ready—on a study-by-study basis or more globally. To obtain a copy of Quorum’s Institutional Start-Up Package please contact Quorum’s Business Development Team at busdev@quorumreview.com or click here to download the package.

As Indicated

F-016 - Institutional Jurisdiction Waiver Form
Formal document by which an institution waives local IRB jurisdiction of a particular study to Quorum Review IRB.

F-034 - Institutional Authorization Agreement
Formal document by which an institution (typically, one with an FWA) waives local IRB jurisdiction of a particular study to Quorum Review IRB.

Guidance

Institutional Start-up Package
Quorum's Institutional Start-up Package contains template contracts, a guide to developing consent forms, examples of customized cover pages for site submissions, and other helpful resources for institutions. The goal of this package is to make it easy for you and your institution to establish a relationship with Quorum Review.

G-043 - Handbook for Quorum Review IRB (Requires an OnQ Portal Account)
The Handbook provides a guide for using Quorum Review IRB as an ethics review board. It contains policies, procedures, and guidelines to be used in preparing materials for Board review, as well as information on managing ongoing research activities, continuing and periodic review, and closing.

Q.    My institution’s IRB has jurisdiction over my site. Can my site be reviewed by Quorum? >>
Your site can be reviewed by Quorum if your Institution is willing to waive jurisdiction. With your submission, please include either Quorum’s Institutional Jurisdiction Waiver Form or an Institutional Authorization Agreement (IAA). Quorum also will accept the template IAA posted on the OHRP website . Please be sure to respond appropriately to questions 18. a., b., and c. of the Site Information Questionnaire.
Q.    My study is Federally Funded. Does Quorum review Federally Funded Research? >>
Quorum reviews Federally Funded studies. There are additional submission requirements for any federally funded studies, for more information on what is required please see the Federally Funded Research section of this website.
Q.    What is Quorum Review’s Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) number? >>
An independent IRB does not need to obtain a Federalwide Assurance (FWA). An FWA is required for institutions that are engaged in research conducted or supported by a federal agency (such as HHS.) An IRB itself is not engaged in the research nor is it a direct recipient of federal funds. However, an FWA requires the institution to list all IRBs that review research for the institution. All IRBs must be registered with OHRP before they can be listed on an institution’s FWA. Therefore, when an institution wishes to use the services of an independent IRB, it must add the IRB to its FWA as an IRB of Record using the IRB’s OHRP registration number. More information is available at http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/assurance/engage.htm
Q.    I am interested in choosing Quorum as my IRB but my institution still wants to be aware of what is happening with my study. Is this possible? >>
Quorum’s OnQ Portal offers convenient access to all site approval documents, consent forms, formal acknowledgments, and other IRB correspondence. A site may grant access to anyone that they would like, and this is an excellent way to keep the Institution involved in what is happening with your study.
Q.    I am only allowed to use an Accredited IRB. Is Quorum accredited? >>
Yes, Quorum is AAHRPP Accredited.
Q.    Quorum is not the central IRB for my site – may I still choose Quorum? >>
Yes. Quorum offers a wide range of options. If Quorum is not the Central IRB, you may choose to submit as a Single Site. Please see Quorum’s Single Site page for more information.