Meetings & Deadlines

Office Hours

To schedule office hours, please use this link, IRB Office Hours. 

Review Information and Dates

The review schedule for applications varies depending on the review level (Exempt, Expedited, or Full Board) at which the proposed study is determined to be.  Refer to the information below for the various review policies regarding Exempt, Expedited, and Full Board studies.  Note that researchers are urged to plan ahead and allow time for review regardless of protocol review level.  Time allowances should also be made for projects that require approval from other Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) (e.g., the New York City Board of Education, etc.).

Review of Exempt Applications

During the academic year and the summer, exempt applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  All applications are reviewed in chronological order of receipt, and review of exempt applications generally takes 7 to 10 business days after submission or acceptance by an advisor. This is an estimated time frame and does not include the time it takes a researcher to complete the requested revisions or the time it takes for an IRB reviewer to confirm protocol changes.

Review of Expedited Applications

Expedited applications are also reviewed on a rolling basis.  During the school year, review of expedited applications takes approximately 7 to 10 business days after submission or acceptance by advisor. This is an estimated time frame and does not include the time it takes a researcher to complete the requested revisions or the time it takes for an IRB reviewer to confirm protocol changes.

Summer Review of Full Board Applications

Full board protocols are reviewed once a month, according to the schedule listed below. Less than 5% of TC’s IRB applications require review by the full board. Most full board protocols come out of the programs in Clinical Psychology, Biobehavioral Studies, and Health and Behavior Studies. Carefully review the requirements for Review Categories to determine your review level. Studies involving more than minimal risk should consider the full board dates below when planning their research timeline. The Full Board does not meet in August. For August full board applications, please email IRB@tc.edu. 

Review of Modification Requests

Modification requests are reviewed on a rolling basis. During the academic year and summer, IRB staff aim to review most modifications within 7 to 10 business days after submission.

This estimated timeframe does not include the time it takes for researchers to complete requested revisions or for reviewers to confirm that protocol updates adequately address the IRB’s requests.

Researchers are encouraged to submit clear, well-documented summaries of proposed changes and highlight revisions within uploaded documents to facilitate faster review.

Note: Modifications requiring full board review follow the convened IRB meeting schedule posted below. 

Review of External Collaborations and Reliance Agreements

If your research involves external institutions or collaborators, following the initial protocol approval (Full Board and Expedited Review), additional review steps, such as establishing IRB reliance agreements, may be required. These processes are often dependent on the policies, review timelines, and responsiveness of the external institution(s) and require the submission of a modification request to document all external collaboration materials and correspondence.

If reliance is required for research activities, the IRB review timeline may increase by 2-4 weeks. If establishing reliance does not determine the start of research activities, the process still takes approximately 2–4 weeks, but it may not significantly delay the research timeline. 

While the TC IRB will actively support and help coordinate reliance agreements, certain delays may be outside of our control. Researchers are strongly encouraged to begin discussions with external partners early and plan accordingly when preparing their submission.

Note: External collaborations and reliance agreements for studies requiring Full Board review follow the convened IRB meeting schedule posted below.

Convened Full Board Dates (Fall 2026-Summer 2027)