Please see the Study Start-Up Process section of the site for forms and information about getting started. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

The institutional review board/research ethics board currently meets on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week, excluding major holidays (see the Quorum Review Board Meeting Schedule for exact dates) for the initial review of all protocols and consent forms. Quorum also has a daily Board that meets to review amendments and major consent form changes.

Submission deadlines are 5:00pm Pacific Time, each Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, one week prior to the meeting at which you wish to have your materials reviewed. 

For example, all completed material received by Tuesday will be scheduled for the Board meeting on the following Tuesday. All completed material received by Friday will be scheduled for the Board meeting on the following Friday. 

Submission deadline for daily meetings is close of business two days prior. 

All required submission elements must be received before an item can be scheduled for Board review. 

Please note that some items may qualify for Expedited Review. Feel free to contact your Study Manager for more information about Expedited Review.

Yes. Quorum Review IRB maintains an ethics review board (referred to as the “North American” Board) and serves as a duly convened research ethics board (REB) and central institutional review board (IRB). The North American Board complies with applicable regulatory requirements and meets every Wednesday to review U.S. and Canadian studies. Quorum is AAHRPP-accredited and accepts both privately and publically funded research in Canada. Read more about our North American review here, or contact us for more information.

Quorum will send notification of pending expiration to the primary study contact approximately 75 days before study approval is due to expire. To renew study approval, please submit a completed Protocol Continuing Review Report at least 60 days prior to the study expiration date. 

Quorum will send notification of pending expiration to all active sites under Quorum’s jurisdiction approximately 75 days before the site’s approval is due to expire. All sites scheduled to remain active after the last day of their current approval period must submit a completed Site Status Report at least 45 days before their expiration date. All sites scheduled to close before the last day of their current approval period must submit a completed Site Status Report prior to their expiration date. 

All sites that do not submit a completed report before their expiration date will be scheduled for consideration of suspension and, potentially, termination by the Board. (Please see the Continuing Review and Site Closure FAQ for more information)

Quorum requires review of all changes in research activity, including protocol amendments and/or consent form revisions. Quorum offers a cover sheet to assist with submitting an amendment.

Please submit the following required information, at minimum, to your Study Manager:

• Cover letter
• Summary of changes
• Rationale for changes
• Full text of amendment or amended protocol
• Tracked, electronic copy of consent form(s), (if applicable)

All consent form revisions must be tracked in electronically using the current, Board-approved version of the consent form. Some protocol amendments may qualify for Expedited Review. Please contact your Study Manager for more information.

Revisions to consent forms must be submitted by tracking all requested changes electronically into the current Board-approved version of the consent form. Consent form revisions independent of a protocol amendment must include written rationale for each change made. Quorum offers a cover sheet to assist with submitting revised consent forms.

The Board reviews consent forms for compliance with regulatory requirements and consistency with protocol information, as well as for grammar, formatting, and readability. Please contact us if you would like to receive a sample consent form to review. You also can review our complete set of template consent forms and guidelines in the Quorum Handbook © or the Quorum Web Portal.

Please see our local law document.

Upon request, Quorum will obtain a translated consent form for use in consenting a participant in his/her first language. Each site that wishes to use a non-English consent form must be specifically approved to do so. Please contact your Study Manager to further discuss your translation options.

All questions can be directed to your Study Manager. We take pride in our single point of contact system that enables you to route all questions through a single individual who is responsible for all aspects of a study. For general questions you can always contact us.