June 2026 IRB Connection Newsletter
Highlights from June IRB Insights
Grant Hawk Simulates NIH Reviewer Feedback
The June IRB Insights presentation introduced an overview of emergency preparedness in human subjects research. The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) will be developing additional tools and policies over the remainder of this year to support the development of emergency preparedness expectations.
The session included a simple checklist for getting started:
Identify risks (to participants, staff, and study integrity)
Map key contacts and backup communication pathways
Plan for continuity (what continues, what pauses, what adapts)
Document and report changes appropriately
Train and test the plan regularly
The session served only as an introduction, with more detailed guidance, tools, and policy updates expected in the coming months. The goal is to provide research teams with the resources needed to integrate preparedness into everyday study planning.
View the slides and recording of the June IRB Insights.
The Office of the Vice President for Research has announced that the UI has created an AI-powered federal grant proposal review service to help UI faculty principal investigators (PIs) submit more competitive grant applications.
Grant Hawk, the beta version of an application review simulation for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, is available for all Iowa faculty PIs. Developed by the Research Development Office, the AI-based service simulates how NIH reviewers evaluate applications, providing feedback on significance, innovation, feasibility, interpretability, and overall competitiveness. Iowa faculty PIs who are preparing an NIH grant application for submission in 2026 can try it now. For more information, visit the Grant Hawk web page.