Mid-October ESTR Upgrades

In mid-October, ESTR was upgraded. Overall, Faculty and Staff will observe minimal changes to the current ESTR experience. The main new features are (click here to view more detailed release notes):

  • Submitting
    • The PI will submit new studies directly to the IRB, as usual; however any required reviews by Faculty Sponsors and/or Department Chairs will occur in parallel with the IRB review rather than as an additional submission step.
    • A PI with an approved study may designate one or more proxy who can submit modifications and continuing reviews for that study on the PI’s behalf.

  • Communicating
    • A new comment/notification process will provide an efficient alternative to emails among study staff (e.g., a coordinator can notify the PI within ESTR that an application is ready to submit) and between study staff and the IRB.
    • Study staff members who wish to make changes after submitting can themselves transition the submission back to an editable state, rather than wait for the IRB.

  • Streamlining/Clarification
    • Unnecessary questions have been removed from the SmartForm, notably for requests to cede review and for continuing review. 
    • Forms, templates, questions, and attachment prompts have been reworded and rearranged.

Changes to the system will not alter any IRB policies or the human subjects research application requirements.

During the upgrade, users with a submission that is actively being reviewed may be required to supply additional information.

Please contact the ESTR Help Desk with any questions or concerns.

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