September is a five-Tuesday month, and the UAMS IRB meets only the first four Tuesdays of every month. If you have anything needing full-board review in a hurry, it should probably already be in the CLARA system if it is to make it onto the agenda for our last September meeting on the 22nd.
And as the weather changes, we’ll take this opportunity to remind everyone that the earlier you can get something into the CLARA system, the better. Last year, for the first time anyone in the IRB office can remember, we had to cancel two IRB meetings in a row due to inclement weather. And whether it’s due to a canceled meeting, a late submission, or some other factor, delayed IRB reviews and approvals can cause all kinds of headaches — unhappy sponsors, expired continuing reviews, etc. So please remember to submit things in CLARA well in advance of any required approval dates.