eIRB Legacy Retirement
The Northwestern University IRB Office has officially retired its eIRB Legacy system. Launched in 2005, the eIRB Legacy system was the institution’s electronic submission and review platform for human participant research. The IRB Office has not used the Legacy system to conduct reviews of active research studies since 2014.
On June 26, 2024 all eIRB+ users received notification via email that the eIRB Legacy system was being retired. Principal Investigators and their research teams were advised to download any study materials they may need before August 2024. Subsequent reminders were shared in the July 2024 and August 2024 IRB Bulletin.
Study Materials in eIRB Legacy
As part of the transition process, Principal Investigators (PIs) and their study teams were advised to download all study documentation and securely save it in an external location. This ensures that the materials are retained in compliance with regulatory and institutional requirements while remaining accessible to study teams if needed. Please note that due to the retirement of the eIRB Legacy system, its contents are no longer accessible.
Helpful Resources
To assist with your ongoing research and ensure compliance, these resources were provided as part of the transition process and can be used by study teams going forward.
- Research Document Retention Requirements for Principal Investigators (HRP-1914) This resource provides clear guidelines on the responsibilities and requirements for Principal Investigators regarding the retention of research documents. It covers a range of critical materials, including study records, research data, source documentation, consent forms, HIPAA authorizations, and other essential documents.
- Regulatory Binder Checklist This resource serves as a comprehensive guide to the essential contents and proper organization of regulatory binders for Biomedical studies.
- Research Record Components This resource offers detailed guidance on the proper structure and content of regulatory binders specifically for Social and Behavioral Research studies.
An eIRB Legacy Transition Resource guide was also provided as part of the transition process. It contains step-by-step instructions on gaining access to eIRB Legacy and downloading IRB-approved study materials.