Deadlines for Submission and Meeting Dates

IRB Meetings

• The IRB committee is scheduled to meet once each month on the third Thursday unless there are no proposals for discussion or other new business. Special meetings may be called by the Chair when necessary.
• In order for the IRB to act at a meeting, at least five (5) members must be present.
• The IRB operates by consensus. To be approved proposals must receive the unanimous approval of a quorum of Board members at the meeting at which the proposal is considered. Any member's request for clarification or revision of an application will be included in the IRB's final decision. In the event that the IRB cannot arrive at a unanimous position, a vote will be taken. In this case, a proposal can be approved by a majority (> 50%) of those present at the meeting.
• The IRB Administrator keeps detailed minutes, which are circulated with the materials for the next meeting. These minutes include all the information stipulated by HHS regulations 45CFR46, 115(a)(2), including members present during a vote, the results of any votes, and the substance of the discussion and the decisions for each proposal or action. Minutes are sent to each member prior to the next meeting (or earlier by request) and to the Director of the Office of Compliance at Montana State University.
• The possible IRB actions are approval, disapproval, or approval pending specified clarifications, corrections, or revisions. Conditional approval is generally not an option. If the IRB wishes, it can offer conditional approval and define the requirements of conditional approval in its decisions.