Over the past year, the Medical Radiation Protection Committee (MRPC), in collaboration with Research Information Systems (RIS), has worked to change the MRPC application process from paper-based to an electronic submission. This effort has been a direct result of requests from the biomedical research community to make the process more efficient and remove duplication of human subjects research information. We are happy to announce the new process went live on Monday, April 19th. This new system will integrate closely with HawkIRB, and allow the person filling out the HawkIRB form to carry forward information from HawkIRB to the new MRPC system, thus eliminating some duplicative entry of information. The new system simplifies the process of filling out the required fields for MRPC and makes it easier to ensure that your form will not get returned for being incomplete. Further, due to the integration with HawkIRB, the status of the MRPC review will be visible to you as part of your HawkIRB application. If you have worked with eIACUC or eIBC for Animal Protocol reviews or recombinant DNA registration, respectively, you will be familiar with the new MRPC review form, as it has a very similar architecture. An added advantage of the new process is that it incorporates smart form functionality. This assists the individual completing the application by prompting them to provide only the information relevant to the type of radiation or radioactive materials being used. It also provides dose information for a larger number of radiological procedures than the previous form, and provides a link to the MRPC consultant when further assistance with dose calculations is required. Perhaps the best feature of the electronic form is that it prompts the user for missing information, and will not allow the form to be submitted until all the required fields are complete. Additionally, it provides the standard radiation risk, pregnancy risk, and radio-sensitization risk language, where applicable, for use in the Informed Consent Document. You can read more information about this new system on the MRPC FAQ page.
Following are some detailed instructions regarding when to use the new MRPC form versus the old form.
Starting a New MRPC Form
As you initiate a new IRB application form in HawkIRB, questions answered in Section V will trigger MRPC review. This will require an eMRPC submission. Prior to submitting the new HawkIRB application form, you will be presented with a request to create an MRPC form. Once you do so, you will be able to follow a link from HawkIRB to the MRPC system to complete the required information and submit your MRPC form for review. Details from the HawkIRB application will auto-populate into the MRPC form. Your MRPC form must be submitted to the MRPC committee concurrently with your new IRB application form in HawkIRB.
If you have an IRB application form pending in HawkIRB:
If you have an IRB application form pending in HawkIRB and you have already attached an MRPC document prior to the weekend we transitioned to the new eMRPC system, you will be able to continue to submit your protocol with the attachment. This means the review will be completed as has been done in the past. If you would like to transition to the new process, you will have to remove any attachments you have uploaded to HawkIRB for MRPC. Once you do so, you can proceed with the eMRPC application in the new system.
If you remove the last MRPC attachment from a new IRB application in HawkIRB:
If you remove the last MRPC Word document attachment on a new IRB application in HawkIRB, you will have to use the new eMRPC system. If you would like to replace an attachment based on changes requested without having to switch to using the new system, you will have to add a new attachment before removing the current attachment. Modifications pending in HawkIRB that have existing MRPC Word document attachment(s) will be reviewed for a limited time. Sometime over the next year we will require that all MRPC reviews be completed using the new electronic system, including any pending modifications under IRB review.
IRB approved research that has already been approved with MRPC word documents:
If you have an IRB approved application, you will not need to do anything until the time comes to submit a new modification. In that case, you will be able to use the attachment system as described above for a limited time. You will eventually have to use the new electronic system and further communication will go out before that time. Your approved MRPC forms will be copied over to the MRPC system in order to allow you and the MRPC committee to locate all applicable forms all in one place. You will continue to see these in HawkIRB as well.