Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board

Submitting amendments to the SBSIRB via e-mail

Minor changes, such as adding a trained research assistant to a protocol, adding a second similar research site, or editing of recruitment materials to better fit with the screening procedures specified in the protocol, can often be approved by the SBSIRB administrator as a reviewer. Typically the administrator only requires a memo requesting the changes in order to document your request in these cases. However, if changes are to be made in the research procedures, a protocol and/or other materials with highlighted revisions will often need to be submitted in order for the SBSIRB to effectively review the amendment and document the changes. If you have any questions about what may be needed, you should contact the SBSIRB staff.

E-mail the SBSIRB (SBSIRB@research.buffalo.edu) requesting an amendment to the protocol. Prepare a memo summarizing the proposed changes to the protocol. In this memo be sure to specify the PI name and the project title. Attach to the e-mail, as one attachment, the memo and any new or revised materials (e.g. protocol, consent forms, recruitment materials, study materials etc.). The last name of the Primary Investigator must be the first part of the file name for any attachments you send.

The principal investigator will be notified via e-mail if any changes are required, further materials are needed for the review or if the amendment needs to be reviewed by the full board. After an amendment has been approved, the PI and faculty sponsor will be notified via e-mail of the approval. This e-mail will contain an attachment consisting of the approved research protocol materials as a single password protected pdf document with a University at Buffalo Crest watermark indicating approval by the IRB. All pages of this document will also contain a footer that includes consecutive pagination along with the approval and expiration dates of the current documentation. When documentation is provided in this manner the project is approved and no signatures of the investigator, faculty sponsor or IRB representative are required to further document approval by the University at Buffalo IRB