The IRB Process at USF

The general process for students and faculty submitting applications to the IRB is detailed below. Applications must be submitted at least one month prior to the projected start date of the research through the AxiomMentor site. 

  1. Complete the CITI Human Subjects Research training. When you have completed your training, save the certificate of completion. Upload this certificate to the PI Documentation section in AxiomMentor. If you have previously completed the Human Subjects Research training within the last 3 years, you may upload your existing certificate.   

  2. Complete all the necessary supporting documents required for application submission. This includes: informed consent documents (written and scripted), interview questions, survey questions and any protocol instruments. Have these documents ready to upload to your application.

  3. Start your IRB application by going to the AxiomMentor site and clicking on My Applications and selecting Create New Application. Once you enter your details and complete the new application form, a new protocol will be generated and you will be taken to your protocol page (Application Page).  

  4. Answer the IRB application questions on your application page and upload required supporting documents. Application questions and upload prompts are found after selecting the Click Here to Complete & View Application Forms link located on your Application Page. 

  5. Submit your completed application to your faculty advisor for approval. 

  6. After you submit, your faculty advisor will be notified via email and will be asked to log into the AxiomMentor site to review and approve your application. Follow up directly with your advisor to ensure they are aware of your application submission. 

  7. Once your faculty advisor has approved your protocol, your application will go through a preliminary review to ensure all required information and documents have been provided. If any additional information or revisions are required prior to sending your application for review to a board member, you will be contacted by the IRB Coordinator via email. 

  8. When your application meets the criteria for IRB review, it will be assigned to our IRB board and you will receive an email notification. Should the reviewer(s) require additional information or revisions/clarifications to your application, they will contact you directly via email. Once assigned for review, please allow at least 3 weeks for the board to review your application. 

Once your IRB application has been submitted, you can check the status of your application by logging into the AxiomMentor system and clicking on My Applications. Please direct all communication for your submission by using the Messages link within your application. If you email the IRB with follow up questions, please include your Protocol ID in the Subject Line.