eIRB
The Penn eIRB system will replace HSERA as the new IRB online submission system in 2025. This page is intended to be a central hub for communications about eIRB launch, including town halls with Q&A, training sessions, and written reference materials for the new system. This page will continue to be updated as more information is released.
The IRB application system is undergoing a significant upgrade in 2025. The IRB will launch a new system, the eIRB system, to replace HSERA. This change in systems will make necessary upgrades for compliance requirements and provide a more user-friendly, efficient review experience.
Future written communications and town halls will provide critical information about migration of existing paper and HSERA protocols to the new system. Faculty and research staff attendance at town halls is strongly recommended to ensure awareness, provide feedback, and ensure a smooth transition.
Project Timeline
Townhalls
Townhalls will be open to the entire research community. Townhalls will have live Q&A and will be recorded for retrospective viewing. Townhalls will discuss the transition plan from HSERA to the new system, new policies and procedures being implemented with the new system launch, and improvements built into the new system.
Education
Education sessions will involve demonstrations of the new system functionality. These sessions will be recorded for retrospective viewing. System demonstrations will be separated and tailored to the following stakeholder groups: Research staff, Ancillary Committees and Research Administration Offices, and IRB Members and Chairs. IRB 101 sessions will also cover the major changes from HSERA to eIRB.
User Testing
The IRB is seeking volunteers from stakeholders to conduct user testing prior to launch. This is an excellent way to get hands-on system training. It will also help the IRB to identify any remaining system bugs and formulate FAQ guidance for the research community. The IRB Office will hold hybrid UAT session(s) in the Franklin Conference Room at 3600 Civic Center Blvd. 9th Floor and on Zoom.
Recorded Sessions
Recordings of previously held Townhall Informational Sessions are linked below. NOTE: These recordings utilize the prior name of the new system, Human Research Application Portal (HRAP).
Written Resources
New System Improvements
This presentation discusses the following design improvements in eIRB, compared to HSERA:
- Efficiency of submitting
- Transparency around the review processes
- Improved tracking of submissions
- Planned integrations with other Penn systems
Data Migration & Policy Changes
This presentation discusses:
- What data and files will be migrated from HSERA to eIRB
- What data and files will not be migrated from HSERA to eIRB
- Policy changes around annual check-ins and study closures
Pre-2019 Exempt Study Transition
Study records for human research reviewed at the exempt level in 2018 or earlier with a “No Continuing Review Required” status are not planned to be migrated to eIRB from HSERA. If researchers wish these studies with a “No Continuing Review Required” status to be migrated to eIRB, they should complete this Qualtrics Form. For more details click the link below.
Questions?