Final Phase of the VCU HRPP Transformation Project: New IRB System Implementation August 2025
The following OVPRI Announcement was sent to the HRPP listserv on 5/14/2025:
Greetings VCU Research Community,
We are pleased to announce a new and improved IRB submission system coming this August. This important update and new system signifies the start of the final phase of the multi-year HRPP Transformation Project.
This new state-of-the-art IRB system will offer a more intuitive user interface for study teams, IRB members and staff. The system will also support enhanced workflow reporting and analysis and provide more stable, timely updates. The new software will also ensure compliance with regulatory changes and best practices and improve consistency in submission workflow metrics and analysis.
The HRPP will provide comprehensive training and support for this system over the coming weeks. Initial training for the submission system will be rolled out to several groups, including selected early adopters, IRB staff and leadership, IRB members and ancillary/collaborating reviewers. This initial communication is for the broad VCU research community, and further details regarding training opportunities tailored from this group will follow.
Please watch for emails, HRPP blog postings and information on the HRPP website over the coming weeks that will outline the following support:
- Timeline to go-live and important RAMS IRB submission deadlines
- Support for study teams transitioning to protocol-based applications
- Live system demonstrations with Q&A
- Open labs with real-time technical and regulatory support
- Office hours with IRB staff
- System overview videos posted on Kaltura
- System reference guides with screenshots and instructions
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to human research protections. Your engagement and feedback is important and encouraged throughout this final phase of the VCU HRPP Transformation Project. We look forward to sharing more about our efforts to serve the VCU research community.
On behalf of our HRPP leadership, IRB members and staff, and Research Computing leadership and colleagues,
P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., Institutional Official, Vice President Research and Innovation
Lisa Balance, M.A., CPW, CCP, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Regulatory Affairs
F. Gerard Moeller, M.D., Deputy-Institutional Official, Associate Vice President, Division of Clinical Research