Posted October 30, 2026 by Tiffany Lee
The university research community is invited to register for a one-hour training on Nov. 18 focused on situations in which collaborations with external organizations may introduce additional IRB and regulatory requirements.
“Working with External Research Partners: Understanding Single IRB Reliance and Individual Investigator Agreements” is set for 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Arbor Room of the Nebraska East Union, 1705 Arbor Drive. A Zoom option is also available.
The training is designed for faculty, staff, students, research coordinators and others involved in multi-site research, community-engaged research, collaborative human subjects research or projects involving external research partners and organizations.
The session will provide an overview of when single IRB (sIRB) reliance arrangements and Individual Investigator Agreements (IIAs) may be required, when they are considered a best practice, and circumstances in which a project may not be eligible for sIRB review. Participants will review the requirements outlined in UNL Human Research Protection Program Policies 3.012 and 3.017, as well as UNL’s guidance on sIRB reliance agreements to better understand roles, responsibilities and regulatory expectations when conducting collaborative human subjects research. The session will include practical examples and common collaboration scenarios to help researchers navigate IRB reliance decisions and avoid delays in study activation.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify when a collaborative research project may require an sIRB reliance arrangement or an IIA based on the roles of participating institutions and investigators.
- Distinguish between situations where sIRB review is required, recommended as a best practice or not permitted, and recognize factors that influence reliance determinations.
- Describe the responsibilities of UNL investigators and external collaborators under reliance agreements, including communication, local context considerations, compliance oversight and coordination with the reviewing IRB.
