Research Approval Process
Biologic Resource Committee (BRC) – Animal Research
Biologic Resource Committee (BRC) – Animal Research
Federal regulations require any institution that uses animals in research to adhere to strict procedures to insure the humane treatment for all research animals. The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) provides guidance and understanding concerning the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Biologic Resource Committee (BRC) at UICOMR oversees all animal protocols to ensure compliance with these regulatory agencies.
For all information concerning submission and protocol review, please use the College’s intranet services.
All new investigators get initial training from the laboratory animal care supervisor who can be reached at (815) 395-5796.
Supplemental educational training may also be conducted through the online training resource developed by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. This training is found on the UIC Learning Management System. To receive CE credit for these training modules from HSPP, please email a copy of the certificate to the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects AND Jessica Gilles at UI COMR at jgorma2@uic.edu. In addition, animal species-specific supplemental training modules may be accessed at:
Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI)
The CITI web-based training course is a collaborative effort between multiple institutions. It is hosted by the University of Miami.
To Register:
- Go to www.citiprogram.org and select “Register for the CITI Course.”
- Under “All Others” select: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.
- Register for CITI by establishing your unique username and password.
- Enter your demographic information.
- After you submit your demographic information, you will be asked to select the focus of your research.
- If your research focuses mainly in the behavioral or social sciences, you should choose the Social/Behavioral modules (SBR).
- If your research focuses mainly in the biomedical or biological sciences, you should choose the Biomedical modules (Biomed).
For assistance please contact Research Support Services at (815) 395-5942.
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) – Bio-safety Research
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for reviewing and approving all research involving rDNA and/or infectious agents or toxins. The goal of the IBC office is to facilitate the protocol writing/review process for the investigator and to ensure compliance of rDNA and infectious agent research with federal regulations. Protocols are reviewed on a monthly or “as needed” basis with meetings scheduled at least quarterly. The deadline for submissions is the last day of the month for review in the following month. The Office of Research lends administrative assistance to the UICOMR IBC.
As required by NOT-OD-25-082, effective June 1, 2025, you can access the approved UICOMR IBC meeting minutes online.
For assistance, questions or application forms, contact:
Jessica Gilles
(815) 395-5942
jgorma2@uic.edu
Use of radioactive materials at the College of Medicine
The Radiation Safety Committee is responsible for ensuring the safe use of radiation sources and radioactive materials within the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. The committee will ensure compliance with radioactive material regulations and procedures, including the safety, handling, use and waste storage procedures for radioisotopes.
The committee will review protocol requests and applications to become a licensed radioisotope user to ensure compliance with College of Medicine Rockford standards and state licenses or regulations are met.
For assistance, questions or application forms, contact:
Jessica Gilles
815-395-5942
jgorma2@uic.edu
Institutional Review Board (IRB) – Human Subject Research
Human Subjects Research (IRB)
IRB Submissions
The IRB must review and approve all research being done with human subjects before any work is initiated to confirm compliance with College of Medicine Rockford standards and ensure federal regulations are being met.
The IRB utilizes IRBNet.org for managing protocol submissions and tracking processes. IRBNet also allows you to have access to your protocols at all times. New users will need to register in IRBNet.org to have access to online forms and templates, as well as to submit to the IRB.
For assistance, questions or application forms, contact:
Jessica Gilles
815-395-5942
jgorma2@uic.edu
What is human subject research?
There are two federal agencies that provide the definitions of “human subject research.”
DHHS definitions:
- “Research” as defined by DHHS regulations means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. [45 CFR 46.102(d)]
- “Human Subject” as defined by DHHS regulations means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information. [45 CFR 46.102(f)]
FDA definitions:
- “Research” as defined by FDA regulations, means any experiment that involves a test article and one or more human subjects, and that either must meet the requirements for prior submission to the Food and Drug Administration under section 505(i) or 520(g) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or need not meet the requirements for prior submission to the Food and Drug Administration under these sections of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, but the results of which are intended to be later submitted to, or held for inspection by, the Food and Drug Administration as part of an application for a research or marketing permit. The terms research, clinical research, clinical study, study, and clinical investigation are synonymous for purposes of FDA regulations. [21 CFR 50.3(c), 21 CFR 56.102(c)]
- “Human Subject” as defined by FDA regulations means an individual who is or becomes a subject in research, either as a recipient of the test article or as a control. A subject may be either a healthy human or a patient. [21 CFR 50.3(g), 21 CFR 56.102(e)] A human subject includes an individual on whose specimen a medical device is used. [21 CFR 812.3(p)]
REQUIRED ONLINE TRAINING: FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS
The University of Illinois at Rockford requires online training for all persons planning to participate in human subject research reviewed by their Institutional Review Board (IRB).
The Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) provides the initial (basic) human research training. This web-based course will take two to three hours to complete, depending on an individual’s prior knowledge and experience with research, ethical principles and regulations about human subject protections. The training can be started, stopped and resumed at any point.
This online training requirement must be met before research personnel can participate in any research activities for Exempt, Expedited or Full IRB reviews.
This training can also be submitted for continuing education credit for physicians, nurses and psychologists through the AMA, APA/CEP and CNE. Click CE credits at CITI for more information.
Definition of Key Research Personnel:
Key research personnel include all persons who will have a significant role in the design or conduct of the research, and includes (at a minimum) all Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, Student Advisors, any individuals who are individually named on a grant or contract application, or who are listed on an FDA form 1572 (conducted at COM-R), named as contact persons in the recruitment documents or informed consent documents for research, or who provide supervision of the persons who are obtaining informed consent to participate in research.
Any individuals, including student researchers and coordinators, who are involved with the research by handling protected health information, or are using the research information/data set as part of their research, should be included as research personnel on a protocol application.
Step 1: CITI Training Instructions for Initial or Continuing Education
The CITI web-based training course is a collaborative effort between multiple institutions. It is hosted by the University of Miami.
To Register:
Go to www.citiprogram.org and select “Register for the CITI Course.”
Under “Participating Institutions” select: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.
Register for CITI
Instructions:
- Complete “Biomedical Research Investigators” or “Social and Behavioral Research Investigators” Modules. Biomedical Research Investigators training is recommended unless you plan on primarily working with Social and Behavioral Research.
- Those that have previously taken either of those courses should indicate so in Question 2. This will provide a Refresher Course instead of the original training. DO NOT CHECK A COURSE YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN as the refresher course is NOT a substitute for the complete modules. Refresher courses will not be accepted unless accompanied by a completion certificate of the original course taken.
- Complete the quiz at the end of each of the required modules.
- Achieve an overall passing score of 80 percent on these quizzes.
Note: Good Clinical Practice, Responsible Conduct of Research, and Students in Research are not IRB requirements, but may be program requirements for you. Please check with your program to see if you are required to do any of these supplemental courses.
Step 2: Reporting Completion of Training
- Go to: IRBNet.org
- Create an account by clicking ‘New User Registration.’
- Login and go to user profile.
- Choose add a training and credential record.
- Choose the appropriate document type and the date earned.
- Attach the associated completion report that was emailed to you upon course completion.
- After you have attached your document, click ‘Submit’ under training and credentials in the user profile page.
- Choose University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford IRB as your Board and submit.
Continuing Education
The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford requires every person listed on a human subject research protocol to perform continuing education credits every two years. Please log on to the: Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI)
Web site to complete your continuing education requirements. Load the renewal report as described in Step 2.