Promise Neighborhoods Technical Assistance on Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

This article discusses two options for organizations requiring IRB approval that do not have an IRB and cannot set up their own (because of time sensitivity or burden): (1) borrow the IRB of a local partner or university or (2) contract with a commercial IRB to review proposals within a set time frame for a fee. Your organization can search for registered IRBs through the Office of Human Research Protections database. Fees for commercial IRBs can range from $500 for an expedited review to $1,200 for a full review; the differences between both types of reviews are also discussed.