Not sure if your form was submitted properly? Here is how you can be absolutely sure.

If it’s been weeks since you’ve submitted your IRB form and you are wondering why you haven’t heard back yet, there is a likely chance that you haven’t completed the submission process.

Each form requires two steps for submission: sign and submit. If you have seen a screen that asks for you to enter your username and password, then you haven’t signed off on your form. If you haven’t seen a submit screen, then you haven’t actually submitted your form.

Here is what you should look for.

After you enter your information in the form, push “next” at the bottom of your form. On the next screen you will see a page that asks for you to sign off on your form. Push “sign” and this will take you to a screen that asks for your username and password, same as when you log on to IRBManager. Once you complete that step, you should see this screen.

This screen verifies that you have actually signed your form. You will need to push next again to go to the next screen.

When you push “submit” your form will be sent to the next level of review. If you are a student, your faculty advisor will receive the form. If you are a faculty or staff researcher, your form will go to the IRB Office.

Once you see the above screen, your form has been submitted.

If you have completed these steps and you require your faculty advisor to sign off on the form, please make sure that your faculty advisor has done so. Once they have signed off on the form and you still haven’t heard back in two weeks, then please reach out to the IRB Office to make sure that your form has been reviewed.