Reliance MOU for IRB Review of Multi-Campus Human Subject Research

The Memorandum of Understanding for IRB Review of Multi-Campus Human Subject Research establishes a reliance agreement among the Human Research Protection Programs (HRPP) and Institutional Review Boards (IRB) at the ten campuses of the University of California, the UC Division of Agriculture Natural Resources (ANR), and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The MOU allows an IRB at any of the UC campuses to rely upon the review and approval, or determination of exemption, of human subject research by an IRB at another UC campus. Additionally, the accompanying Procedures to Implement the Reliance Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) set out procedures to implement the Reliance MOU.

UC IRB Reliance Registry

All studies covered by the Memorandum of Understanding for IRB Review of Multi-Campus Human Subject Research at the University of Calfornia may use the UC IRB Reliance Registry. The Registry is a communication tool that facilitates the sharing of IRB protocol approvals for multisite studies that involve human subject research among the UC campuses.

The Registry was developed by Office of the President in partnership with the IRB offices at all UC campuses, ANR, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Registry was tested by faculty researchers at several UC campuses, and continues to be refined to meet the needs of research faculty and IRB staff.

Transfer of IRB Oversight

The Human Research Protection Program Directors at the ten UC campuses, the Division of Agriculture Natural Resources, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have agreed that there may be instances when it is necessary to transfer IRB review responsibility from one UC location  to another, on a temporary or permanent basis. In June 2020, an MOU was implemented that describes how this transfer process works.

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