Join SMART IRB Agreement V3.0

On the SMART IRB Reliance registration page, enter your institution name or assurance number.

If your institution is listed on this page, proceed to step 2 below.

If your institution is not listed, please contact us and provide the following information:

• Institutional Legal Name
• Federal Assurance (e.g. FWA Number)
• E-mail of individual(s) completing the application. Please note this person should have institutional authority to make reliance determinations.

Upon confirmation from the SMART IRB Team that the new institution has been added, to the database, you may proceed with step 2.

To start the joinder process, users must register an account in the Reliance System. This should be completed by an IRB/HRPP administrator or other research compliance personnel.

Please follow these instructions to avoid issues accessing the system.

Complete relevant details, including name, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation.

For “Preferred Login,” you will find 3 options. Please make your selection based on the following criteria:

• NIH: If you are an employee or contractor of the NIH with an NIH-designated email address.
• Research Organization: If your organization is listed in the drop-down on the SMART IRB Reliance System landing page (“Search organization to log in”).
  • Note: this option can only be used by institutions that are part of InCommon Federation.
  • The email used for your Single Sign On (SSO) will need to match the email registered with your SMART IRB account.
• Login.gov: If neither of the above options apply.
  • Please note for most institutions, this will be the applicable option.
  • Create a Login.gov account using the email that matches your SMART IRB account.

If your institution was recently added (step 1 above), you will need to contact us after you register so that we may activate your individual account.

Log in to the Reliance System and provide your institutional details to generate your institution’s joinder agreement.

• Complete the Institution Information section, providing basic information about your institution, federal assurance applicability, and CTSA affiliation (if applicable). If your institution maintains an IRB, you will be asked to describe how you have assessed the quality of your IRB, including the date the assessment was initiated or completed; this must be within the past 5 years. Learn More.
• Complete your institution’s Contact Lists. Learn More.

• • • SMART IRB Point of Contact: the main person responsible for communicating reliance-related items and decisions on behalf of the institution.
    • Alternative SMART IRB Point of Contact (if applicable): a backup person responsible for communicating reliance-related items on behalf of the institution.
    • Institutional Official: signatory official at institution designated to sign the SMART IRB Agreement.
    • Contact for Notices (if applicable): person to be included on institutional correspondence (e.g. confirmation of V3.0 activation).

The SMART IRB Point of Contact and Alternative Point of Contact (if applicable) will be listed on the SMART IRB Participating Institutions page.

• Optional: complete your Institutional Profile to provide fellow Participating Institutions important information about your institution, relevant legal jurisdiction, etc.; Institutional Profiles may be viewed/downloaded from the SMART IRB Participating Institutions page. Learn More.

Please do not proceed to the next step until you receive verification from the SMART IRB team. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive a verification email.

Review the Joinder Agreement you generated and send to your institutional official for electronic signature. Learn More. 

• From the Reliance System landing page, select Agreements >> New Submissions.
• Review your institution’s Joinder by selecting “Agreement PDF,” and confirm all contact information listed is correct.
• Obtain the signature of your Institutional Official by clicking “Request Signature.”
• Consider adding yourself and/or other relevant individuals as cc’d to the email by scrolling on the institutional official information.
• The Institutional Official will receive an email requesting their signature; they will review, sign, and submit the Joinder electronically. Please note if the Joinder Agreement is not signed and submitted in 7 days, a new agreement would need to be generated in the Reliance System.

A SMART IRB representative will review your Joinder Agreement and/or Indemnification Addendum and contact you with any questions.

Your institution’s SMART IRB Agreement and/or Indemnification Addendum will be reviewed by a SMART IRB representative (typically within 1 business day). Please note that the Joinder Agreement must be active prior to initiating any new reliance arrangements under the SMART IRB Agreement.

• You can also log in to the Reliance Systemto check the status of your institution’s Agreement(s) Learn More.
• Once you have received notice of activation, you may use the SMART IRB Agreement to collaborate with other Participating Institutions.

Note: Joining SMART IRB does not obligate an institution to participate in any research or agree to a reliance arrangement. Institutions are free to use the Agreement as frequently or infrequently as they so choose.