June 2021

It is the policy of the Organization that studies may be transferred from one JHM IRB to another within the JHM Human Research Protection Program. Transfers will occur in the following circumstances:

1. When a change in Principal Investigator (PI) is being proposed to designate a Member or Chair of the IRB of record for the study as the new PI. In such cases, the study will be transferred to an IRB on which the PI does not serve as a primary Member. (In cases in which the new PI is a former Member or Chair of the IRB of record, transfer shall also occur if the change in PI occurs within two years of that person’s completion of service on the IRB).*
2. When the IRB of record believes it lacks the expertise required for review of the study and that expertise is available on another of the JHM IRBs.
3. When a study assigned to one JHM IRB for review is identified as being identical to another study previously approved by a different JHM IRB. In such cases, the new study will be re-assigned to the IRB which approved the first submission of the study.
4. If an exception was granted by the Institutional Official (IO) or the Director of the Human Research Protections Program (HRPP) allowing an IRB on which a Chair or Member serves as PI to review the study initially (see Organization Policy 103.10(b) “Assignment of IRB Review”).
5. For reasons other than those specified above as determined by the IO, the Director of the HRPP, JHM IRB Chairs, and/or OHSR Management.

* Note: For those studies reviewed and approved by the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) IRB, it will not be mandated that studies with PIs who sit as Members or as Chairs on the JHACH IRB be transferred.