JUST ANNOUNCED!  All research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) when there are multiple institutions/sites involved.
 
The purpose of this NEW policy is intended to enhance and streamline the process of IRB review and reduce inefficiencies so that research can proceed as expeditiously as possible without compromising ethical principles and protections for human research participants.
 
This policy applies to the domestic sites of NIH-funded multi-site studies where each site will conduct the same protocol involving non-exempt human subjects research, whether supported through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or the NIH Intramural Research Program. It does not apply to career development, research training or fellowship awards. This policy applies to domestic awardees and participating domestic sites. Foreign sites participating in NIH-funded, multi-site studies will not be expected to follow this policy.
 
This policy applies to all competing grant applications (new, renewal, revision, or resubmission) with receipt dates on or after May 25, 2017. Ongoing, non-competing awards will not be expected to comply with this policy until the grantee submits a competing renewal application.
 
For contracts, the policy applies to all solicitations issued on or after May 25, 2017. For the intramural program, the policy applies to intramural multi-site studies submitted for initial review after May 25, 2017.
 
More information may be found here - https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-14513.pdf