While GCU Technical Support is here to assist you with any technical issues you may experience during your degree program, the best resource for research-related questions is research.gcu.edu. The website serves as a central hub for all information about research at GCU. If you have a question that isn't related to a technical issue, we recommend checking out research.gcu.edu first.
General Application Questions
The Principal Investigator is the person completing the application (if you are submitting the application, then that’s you!). You must add yourself as the Principal Investigator on the application to sign off on it later.
To access iRIS log into gcuirb.imedris.net using your GCU email and GCU password.
If you are unable to login, we recommend resetting your password
To access your application, log into gcuirb.imedris.net. Access your Study assistant, then select My Studies.
After accessing your application, use the section view on the left side to navigate through your application.
Any applications that you have started but not completed can be located as drafts in the My Studies section of your iRIS homepage.
If you are still unable to locate the application, click the Show Hidden Studies option from within the My Studies screen.
If the application is hidden, click the icon under the Hide heading to unhide it.
After moving on to the Initial Submission Packet, it can be difficult to figure out how to go back to previous sections of the application. To move back and review previous sections, you should select 2.0 GCU IRB Application from the navigation menu on the left. Then select the Edit / View button. This will generate all previous pages of your application.
The documents are likely being blocked by a pop-up blocker on your browser. To disable your pop-up blocker, see Allowing Pop-ups on GCU Sites.
Additionally, once the files download they may have strange titles. This is normal.
Yes! Additional resources can be found here:
- The Grand Canyon University Research Institutional Review Board page.
- The DC IRB Research Center for doctoral learners (only students in the 4th week of their doctoral program will be able to access the DC Network)
- IRB section in the Help Center
- Click the orange colored Help icon in the upper right corner of the iMedRIS website.
To download a PDF copy of your application, start by opening the application from the My Studies page.
Under the Outstanding Submissions heading, select Initial Review Submission Packet.
Under the Section view of the Form, click the desired document. Then click the Print Friendly button at the top of the screen.
In the pop-up that appears, select PDF Form, then click Apply Section.
A file will start downloading. If nothing happens, try disabling your browser’s pop-up blocker.
There are two ways that you can obtain the approved documents in the iRIS system. You can pull the documents from either the Current Approvals page or the My Studies page. Check out the steps below to see how you can find the documents on each page.
Current Approvals Page
To locate and download approval confirmations from the Current Approvals page, start by selecting the My Current Approvals option from the iRIS home page.
Three icons will appear. Select the appropriate approval icon based on the document you would like to obtain.
Once you have clicked on the appropriate icon for your search, a pdf file will appear. Click on the icon to open the letter, consent, or document. You can then save or print the file.
My Studies Page
To locate and download approved documents from the My Studies page, click on My Studies from the Study Assistant in the center of the page.
Next select the pen and pad icon on the left of your Open study.
You can then select either Informed Consent for the approved Informed Consent document or the Other Study Documents for other approved documents.
Issues Filling out the Application
My faculty has two different accounts. Which one do I add?
Some faculty members are students as well and may have two accounts in the iMedRIS website. Most often you will want to select the account associated with their faculty information. This account will generally have an email address formatted in this way: first.lastname@my.gcu.edu or first.lastname@gcu.edu. When in doubt, contact your faculty member for clarification.
I can’t find my faculty using the search function.
Faculty members will not appear in the iRIS system until they have logged in for the first time. If you are unable to locate your faculty member, reach out and have them log in.
All major file types are accepted. The file size limit for uploaded documents is 50 MB.
Yes, if you notice a message indicating a new form has been published, click to convert. This happens when there is an update to the form and converting will ensure you are working with the most current application.
When the conversion is complete, you will be taken back to the beginning because there may be new field requirements. Click Save and Continue to the Next Section through the application to ensure that all fields are filled out correctly.
Issues Editing the Application
See the article titled (iRIS) How to Revise Your Application after IRB Review for more information on how to revise an application.
If you have a Supervisor (Chair) that must approve your submission before it is routed to the IRB team for approval, they may request revisions to your initial application. For instructions on how to edit your application, please refer to How to Edit a Study Denied by Your Supervisor.
If you see a comment that says, “No Revision entered”, it indicates that the revision was not entered correctly by the IRB analyst. Contact the IRB team at irb@gcu.edu to correct this issue. Alternatively, you can contact Technical Support. While we can’t correct this issue ourselves, we can create a ticket and transfer it to the IRB team to get the process started.
Issues Submitting the Application
Alternatively, you can contact Technical Support. While we can’t correct this issue ourselves, we can create a ticket and transfer it to the IRB team to get the process started.
Supervisor (Chair) Issues
Alternatively, you can contact Technical Support. While we can’t correct this issue ourselves, we can create a ticket and transfer it to the IRB team to get the process started.
If you are not asked to convert the form, there may be parts of the application that may not have been listed as required but are still necessary to complete. When the application is returned, your Supervisor (Chair) will leave comments to indicate the sections that need to be completed. To edit your application, review the article (iRIS) How to Edit a Study Denied by Your Supervisor (Chair).
You will only be able to delete an application if you are the Principle Investigator. If you reviewed an application and would like to have it deleted, reach out to your applicant.
Technically, yes. If a study is in draft status, both the applicant and their chair can make changes within the application. It is recommended that all changes be made by the applicant unless absolutely necessary, however.