Welcome to the Institutional Review Board
for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-SBS)
As part of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at the University of Virginia, the Institutional Review Board for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-SBS) is the IRB responsible for reviewing all non-medical behavioral human research (studies which are considered medically non-invasive) for compliance with federally mandated research guidelines. Review of human subject research is required for funded and non-funded research and for research conducted by faculty, students, and all those under the purview of the University of Virginia.
This section covers the basics of the IRB-SBS processes and is a great resource if you are a new researcher at UVA.
Here you will find guidance on the submission processes for your study within the IRB-SBS system iProtocol.
Learn about post-approval study maintenance and end of study requirements to keep your study compliant.
Tools for Study Teams
2026 Announcements:
- We are pleased to announce that the updated format for IRB Approval Letters (previously known as Approval Certificates) is now live. These updates are part of the Human Research Protection Program's ongoing preparation for the transition to the Huron IRB system. While the content and regulatory information contained within the letters have not changed, researchers will now see a refreshed format and appearance that more closely aligns with the approval letters that will be used in Huron. Implementing this change now will help familiarize study teams with the look and feel of future Huron-generated approval letters and support a smoother transition when the new system launches next spring.
- As part of the Human Research Protection Program's ongoing preparation for the transition to the Huron IRB system, the Evaluate My Project tool will be updated on September 14, 2026, to integrate the HRP-503b Non-Human Subject Research Protocol Template directly into the tool. This enhancement will provide a more structured and standardized process for submitting Non-Human Subject Research (NHSR) determination requests, helping to streamline HRPP review, accelerate determinations, and reduce follow-up requests for additional information. Because the template is built using the Huron Toolkit, implementing this change now will help familiarize researchers with processes and tools that will be part of the future Huron environment and support a smoother transition when the new system launches.
- Past announcements can be found here.
Events
Note on the Meeting Schedule: Not all studies require Full Board Review for approval. Many studies qualify as minimal risk and can be approved by the IRB Chair or designee on a rolling basis. To learn more, see the Activities that Require IRB-SBS Review and Protocol Review Process pages.