August 2026 IRB Insights Recap: Advancing Research Efficiency and Compliance

The August 2026 IRB Insights session highlighted recent enhancements to the University of Iowa's human research oversight processes, with a continued focus on efficiency, compliance, and researcher support. Highlights of the presentation include:

• Automated research team member approval.

  Recent updates in HawkIRB have enabled immediate approval of requests to add or remove certain research personnel.  More information can be found under “Automated HRPP Approval of Certain Research Team Members for research approved under either IRB-01 or IRB-02" on the HSO Website.

• Improved congruency between HawkIRB and Sponsored Programs systems. 

  HawkIRB now prompts researchers to remove or update expired or inactive funding sources, helping ensure accurate documentation and compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements. More information can be found under “HawkIRB Required Modifications” on the HSO Website.

• Community Connect research access.

  University of Iowa Healthcare researchers can now expand their research to include data collection options from certain affiliated Iowa community hospitals that have agreed to allow the University of Iowa IRB-01 to serve as their IRB of record. This research is currently limited to retrospective medical record reviews requesting a waiver of informed consent and a HIPAA waiver of authorization. The initiative establishes a framework for secure data access, HIPAA-compliant oversight while maintaining clear limitations on data use, sharing, and storage. More information can be found on on the HSO Website under “Using Community Connect.”

The presentation also covered updates on ongoing quality improvement efforts, including planned enhancements to identify deactivated research personnel, continued expansion of Human Research Protection Program automation, and upcoming redesigns to several Hawkeye IRB application sections. These efforts are intended to streamline submission processes for investigators while continuing to maintain regulatory compliance and accreditation standards.

Looking ahead, the Human Subjects Office will continue its monthly IRB Insights sessions and launch a new educational lecture series focused on exempt research categories and regulatory requirements. Together, these initiatives reflect the University's commitment to supporting researchers through innovation, training, and continuous process improvement.

Click here to view the recording of the August IRB Insights.

Automated Approval of Certain Research Team Members in HawkIRB

A recent update to HawkIRB allows non-conflicted, non-key personnel, conducting research related activities to be approved automatically.

The limited release of the research team member automation has gone live for IRB-01 and IRB-02 approved projects.  The automation is expected to go live for studies approved with an external IRB later this fall.  

Additional information on the new process is available on the HSO website.