With the new WVU Research Administration Portal live and stable, planning is now underway for phase two, the implementation of an IRB Module that will standardize submission processes, automate workflows and further align WVU with best practices in research administration for R1 universities.
The project team and partners from Huron Consulting Group will work with departments and research community leaders in the coming months to review all business processes related to Institutional Review Board approvals for human subject research, determining how to integrate and standardize critical workflows and how to reduce manual effort, delays and the risk of inconsistency in reviews.
The Huron Research Suite IRB Module is widely used in higher education. Deploying it will reduce the learning curve for new users and ensure smoother navigation through the submission and review process.
Other benefits of the IRB Module, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2026, include:
• More transparent communication and collaboration options.
• Improved ability to track the status of reviews.
• Data and analytics to support detailed audit trails.
• More intuitive interface with robust self-service features.
The current planning phase will take several months, but researchers can expect to begin getting more updates later this summer. As with phase 1, there will be opportunities for engagement and training long before the new module is live. Until then, IRB protocols should continue to be submitted in the WVU+kc system.
Research Connect is one of four workstreams in the WVU Modernization Program, a multi-year initiative to redesign the way the University does business, and improve experiences for students, faculty and staff. The Grants, Agreements and Conflict of Interest modules in WRAP went live Jan. 13, along with WV CTSI clinical trial registrations and agreements.
Direct questions about the WRAP project to project sponsor Joy Edwards at Joy.Edwards@mail.wvu.edu or project manager Laura DiNunzio at Laura.Dinunzio@mail.wvu.edu.