Scientific Review Committee

Welcome! Below you will find all necessary information for obtaining the required SRC reviews for your IRB application, whether you’re a McKay School researcher submitting an application for your own study or a thesis/dissertation advisor submitting an application with a student.

The process for obtaining and submitting an SRC review for IRB applications is in flux with the initiation of the new IRB application portal (OneAegis). We will no longer be relying on the Qualtircs-based system used in the recent past. Rather, all IRB application and SRC reviewing will be done in OneAegis.

Currently, we ask MSE researchers to follow the processes outlined below:

For Researchers Submitting Their Own Study:

All non-exempt studies must be reviewed and approved by a member of the MSE Scientific Review Committee. Please follow the steps below to obtain an SRC review. (If your study qualifies as exempt, you do not need SRC approval.)

1. Use the checklist linked below to perform a self-check of your IRB application. Failure to address each of the items on the checklist successfully will result in the IRB application being returned to you for revision following the SRC review.

   Scientific Review Checklist

2. During your IRB application process within OneAegis, you may be prompted to enter the name and email of the SRC reviewer that will be completing your review. Each MSE department has at least two reviewers (see below), one of whom must be assigned to your application. To identify your assigned reviewer, please email Heidi Vogeler and she will provide you with the name of your reviewer. With that information, you can then submit your IRB application.
3. Your department SRC reviewer will receive notification about their assignment to review your application from OneAegis and should complete their review within 3-5 business days.
4. Their review will be tracked and attached to your IRB application within OneAegis.

For Thesis/Dissertation Advisors:

If you are a thesis/dissertation advisor submitting a non-exempt study for/with a student, please follow the steps below:

1. Obtain official approval of the study by the thesis/dissertation committee

2. Use the checklist linked below to perform a self-check of your IRB application to ensure all SRC standards have been met.

   Scientific Review Checklist

3. The thesis/dissertation advisor (or graduate student) will then initiate the IRB application in OneAegis, with the committee chair listed as the PI. When prompted to indicate whether department scientific review is required, select "Does not require scientific review" and then "Theses/dissertations (including Honors theses) approved by their academic committees PRIOR to IRB submission." You will be asked again whether the study is part of a thesis or dissertation. Select Yes and then upload proof of committee approval (such as a screen shot from Grad Prog showing approval from committee members, or a brief note/documentation that the study was approved by the committee)
4. Edit to read: If the application was initiated by a student, the committee chair (PI) will need to approve the study in OneAegis and the application can be complete/submitted.

IRB Renewals

Some IRB applications will be undergoing a “renewal,” meaning that these studies are currently underway and an IRB application needs to be resubmitted and reviewed by the IRB to verify compliance with new regulations and to address issues of risk, electronic storage procedures, verification of minimum age of 18 for adult studies, etc. The SRC will NOT be reviewing these “renewal” applications as they have already been reviewed for scientific merit during the first submission. Researchers are to submit these renewals to the IRB directly.

Current SRC Members:

Please refer to the two documents below for the SRC procedures and the self-review. This is the same checklist the SRC members will use to review each IRB application.

Scientific Review Checklist