The Georgetown Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews research involving human subjects via full board review procedures, expedited review procedures, or exempt determinations. Any non-exempt human subjects research must be reviewed and approved by the IRB prior to any intervention or interaction with human subjects, including recruitment procedures.
IRB Committees: Georgetown IRB has three IRB committees; each committee is composed of members from both scientific and non-scientific backgrounds. Membership includes faculty and staff from both GU and MedStar, as well as representatives from the local community. Submission to the GU IRB will forward your submission to the appropriate committee.
Schedule: The 2026 schedule applies to submissions requiring review at a convened IRB meeting (full board review). Submissions that may be eligible for expedited review, exempt review, or non-human subject research determinations are reviewed on a rolling basis upon submission of all necessary materials and are not required to meet submissions deadlines for review by the convened IRB (full board review).
Deadlines: Deadlines for IRB Committee Meetings are on the same day of the week as the committee meeting and fall three weeks prior to the scheduled meeting date. Any applications that you believe may require review at a full board meeting must be submitted by the meeting’s corresponding deadline to be considered for inclusion on the meeting agenda. Please note that pre-review must be completed in order for an application to be placed on an agenda. Due to holidays or the academic calendar not all meetings follow the regular schedule, location and/or time and are marked by an asterisk ( * ) in the meeting calendar.
For more information about Georgetown University IRB, please contact the Institutional Review Board (202) 687-1506 or e-mail irboard@georgetown.edu.
Georgetown University-GHUCCTS Biomedical Institutional Review Board Georgetown University-GHUCCTS Biomedical Institutional Review Board (GU-GHUCCTS IRB) integrates the former Biomedical IRB (Committee AB) and the GHUCCTS IRB (Committee E). This committee holds the responsibility of reviewing proposed biomedical and GHUCCTS research projects to ensure that the rights, privacy, and welfare of all human subjects are adequately protected. All studies that were previously reviewed and approved by Committee AB or Committee E will now be reviewed and approved by this combined committee.
Crucial Review Sequence for Consortium Studies: Please note that SEPCOM review MUST OCCUR PRIOR to the GHUCCTS-related review by this committee. Investigators should consult the SEPCOM – GHUCCTS IRB Review Summary Guide for details.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (Committee C) The Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (Committee C) holds the responsibility of reviewing proposed social and behavioral research involving human subjects to ensure that the privacy and welfare of the research participants are adequately protected.
MedStar Health Research Institute-Georgetown University Oncology Institutional Review Board (MHRI-GU Oncology IRB) On January 29, 2002 Georgetown University and MedStar Health, Inc. entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, to organize and operate the MedStar Health Research Institute-Georgetown University Oncology Institutional Review Board (MHRI-GU Oncology IRB). The President of the MedStar Health Research Institute (MHRI) and the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences at Georgetown University agreed that employees of Georgetown University would administer the Institutional Review Board. The MHRI-GU Oncology IRB will have jurisdiction over new Oncology human subject research protocols done at Georgetown University and/or any MedStar Health, Inc. healthcare facility (Franklin Square Hospital Center, Union Memorial Hospital Center, Harbor Hospital Center, Good Samaritan, National Rehabilitation Center, Harborview Cancer Center, Washington Cancer Institute and Washington Hospital Center), as of April 17, 2002, and will assume jurisdiction over ongoing previously approved studies at the time of annual review.