A reliance agreement (also known as an IRB Authorization Agreement or IAA) is a formal contract that enables an institution to rely on an external IRB for review and approval of human subjects research. This agreement clarifies responsibilities for both the reviewing IRB and the relying institution. While this eliminates the need for each site to conduct separate regulatory IRB reviews, each relying institution will still need to evaluate the research for local context considerations.
Researchers must obtain CW HRPP approval before using an external IRB. Sign-off ensures compliance with local policies and institutional oversight requirements. To determine if a study qualifies for ceded review, researchers must consult the CW HRPP Reliance Team at CWReliance@childrenswi.org.
The reliance team will:
- Assess eligibility for reliance.
- Outline the request process.
- Verify any pre-existing or master reliance agreements.
Consult our Guidance on Reliance Agreements
Virtual Open Office Hours
Virtual Open Office Hours are on a first come, first served basis and are designed for study teams who seek help for general questions and guidance that may be provided quickly. To set up an appointment, please contact Kristin Costello at kcostello@childrenswi.org. Virtual Open Office Hours are held weekly, every Tue 9:30 – 11:30am via Zoom.
Consultations
Consultations are available to study teams and researchers who have complex questions or issues that may take significant time (>15-minutes, for example) to resolve. To schedule a consultation, please complete our consultation request form.
Contact Information
Questions should be directed to the general office phone or mailbox. Your questions will be directed to an appropriate staff member who will be happy to help you. The Children's HRPP/IRB always aims to reply as soon as possible, but due to the nature and volume of requests, please allow three business days for a response.
Children's HRPP
Phone: (414) 337-7133
Fax: (414) 266-4925
General questions:
cwhrpp@childrenswi.org
Children's Wisconsin HRPP
Children's Corporate Center
999 North 92nd Street
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Reliance agreements & deferral requests:
cwreliance@childrenswi.org