Application Process

All applicants must complete an IRB human subjects training before completing the IRB application. All investigators (both faculty and students) who are listed on the IRB application and will have direct contact with human subjects must complete the IRB human subjects training and provide a certificate of completion. This training is good for three years. Investigators may complete WCU’s in-house IRB human subjects training or protection of human research participants (PHRP) training provided by CITI.

Register with CITI
Learners will need to complete the registration process before they will be able to access and take CITI courses. Follow the instructions below to sign up:

• Navigate to CITI’s homepage and click on Register
• Enter West Coast University into the Select your Organization Affiliation field
• Continue on to create your CITI username and password and complete the Learner Registration form

Register with WCU’s in-house IRB human subjects training

• For Students: Faculty can provide students with the link to the WCU IRB website and direct them to the in-house training (IRB Website Human Subject Training
• For Faculty and Associates: Access WCU’s in-house IRB training through AskFred->Oracle Learn-> WCU Institutional Review Board (IRB) | Human Subjects Training

Complete EITHER the WCU-IRB Application or the Exempt Application, which is a “fill-in” PDF document or Microsoft Form. Complete the Exempt Application if you believe your project may qualify as Exempt under the government-approved Exemption categories. In general, Exempt projects do not involve vulnerable populations as participants AND involve less than minimal risk. They still require IRB review to make a determination about whether they meet the Exemption criteria.

Please download the WCU-IRB Application or Exempt Application to your computer to fill it out or click on the form link to complete the application. Answer all of the questions to the best of your knowledge. Leaving cells or questions blank will result in a delay because the IRB will need to reach out to you for clarification.

For both application types, rather than attaching a research proposal, please use the application form to type in all pertinent and required elements as specified on the application. The IRB prefers to keep all information in one document.

Create the Informed Consent document. When developing the Informed Consent document for Non-Exempt applications, use the WCU template in the folder for informed consent. You must use this template. Some elements on the template may not apply to your research or study. Use your best judgment OR contact the IRB at IRB@westcoastuniversity.edu for clarification. The final version of the Informed Consent document MUST include a footer to allow the IRB to input the approval number, approval date, and expiration date (must be on WCU letterhead).

For Exempt applications, use the WCU Exempt Informed Consent template that provides all the information necessary for potential participants to make an informed decision.

Submit the original version of the application and the Informed Consent or Information Document to the IRB. Do not send scanned or photo images. The IRB needs the ability to type into the application form and the Informed Consent/Information Document.

You should submit all required supplemental documents as separate attachments. These documents are indicated on the Submission Checklist on the WCU-IRB Application and listed in the Instructions at the top of the Exempt Application.