# IRB management software that keeps approval periods, pathways and minutes in one record

> IRB management is the administration of human subjects research review: intake, pre review, assignment to a review pathway, convened meetings, determinations, approval periods and record retention. An IRB must have at least five members, registration with OHRP is effective for 3 years and must be renewed every 3 years, and records must be kept for at least 3 years after research is completed under 45 CFR 46.115. Neurobird holds the review record itself, so a determination and its minute entry are the same object rather than two pieces of work.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/irbops/
- Product: Neurobird IRB Management Document Automation Platform
- Niche: IRB management
- Buyer: IRB offices and human research protection programs
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird IRB Management does

- Take submissions in a structured form rather than as an email thread with attachments
- Route by review pathway: exempt determination, expedited review or the convened board
- Track approval periods and continuing review dates so an expiry is a scheduled event, not a discovery
- Produce minutes that show attendance, quorum, the vote and the controverted issues without retyping

## How it works

1. **Intake with a shape** Submissions arrive as structured records with the documents attached, so pre review starts with a checklist rather than a download.
2. **Route by pathway** Exempt determination, expedited review or convened board. The criteria under 45 CFR 46.104 and 46.110 sit next to the decision, and the reason is captured.
3. **Minutes and expiries as outputs** Attendance, quorum, votes and controverted issues assemble from the meeting record, and approval periods drive the calendar instead of a spreadsheet.

## From the source material

> Protocols requiring Full Board review must be submitted in Kuali at least 10 business days before the current month’s meeting to be reviewed at that month’s meeting.

Source: ubalt.edu, https://www.ubalt.edu/about/offices-and-services/provost/sponsored-research/institutional-review-board.cfm

## Industry context

- **46.107** Each IRB must have at least five members with varying backgrounds, including at least one member whose primary concerns are nonscientific, and quorum rules apply at every convened meeting. (source: eCFR, 45 CFR 46, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46)
- **3 years** IRB registration is effective for 3 years and must be renewed every 3 years, with contact and chair changes updated within 90 days under 45 CFR 46.505. (source: eCFR, 45 CFR 46 subpart E, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46/subpart-E)
- **46.109** Continuing review of research requiring convened review must occur at intervals appropriate to risk and not less than once per year, except for the categories listed in 45 CFR 46.109(f). (source: eCFR, 45 CFR 46, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46)
- **2017** The revised Common Rule was published on January 19, 2017, with a general compliance date of January 21, 2019 and January 20, 2020 for the cooperative research provision. (source: Federal Register, Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/19/2017-01058/federal-policy-for-the-protection-of-human-subjects)
- **21 CFR 56** FDA regulated research is reviewed under a parallel IRB regulation, so many boards operate under both frameworks at once for the same protocol. (source: eCFR, 21 CFR 56, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-56)

## Pricing

- Single board: $290 per board, per month
- Research office: $620 per board, per month
- Institution: $1,100 per board, per month

## Questions

### What does IRB management involve?

IRB management is the administration of human subjects research review: intake, pre review, assignment to a review pathway, board meetings, determinations, approval periods and record retention. The office is also responsible for registration with OHRP and for the records that show the board met the requirements of 45 CFR 46.

### How often must an IRB register and renew?

Under 45 CFR 46 subpart E, IRB registration becomes effective when reviewed and accepted by OHRP and is effective for 3 years, and each IRB must renew its registration every 3 years. Contact person and chair changes must be updated within 90 days.

### Is continuing review still required for every study?

No. Under the 2018 Requirements the convened IRB must conduct continuing review at intervals appropriate to risk and not less than once per year, but 45 CFR 46.109(f) removes the requirement for certain categories, including research eligible for expedited review. The office still has to record which determination was made and why.

### What is the single IRB requirement?

For cooperative research conducted in the United States, institutions must rely on approval by a single IRB for the portion of the research conducted here. The compliance date for that provision of the 2018 Requirements was January 20, 2020, and reliance agreements became a standing part of the office workload.

### Does this replace our electronic submission system?

If you have one, no. It handles the review record: pathway, determinations, approval periods, minutes and retention. Submissions can arrive from wherever they arrive now.

## Sources

- [eCFR, 45 CFR 46 protection of human subjects](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46)
- [eCFR, 45 CFR 46 subpart E, IRB registration](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46/subpart-E)
- [eCFR, 21 CFR 56 institutional review boards](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-56)
- [Federal Register, Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/19/2017-01058/federal-policy-for-the-protection-of-human-subjects)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/