What is IRISS?
IRISS, or the ‘Institutional Research Information Services Solution’, is the online submissions portal for all University of Calgary ethics applications. The portal was created to help with the security, accessibility, and ease of applying for ethics approval. An important thing to note is that all ethics applications are done online; paper copies are no longer accepted.
What goes on in IRISS?
Through the submission process on IRISS, you will be asked to fill out a series of forms related to your research. You will have to discuss:
- Your study’s purpose and objectives
- How long it will run for
- Information about your participants, such as who you are collecting data from
- How you will recruit them, and how you will get data from them (this includes obtaining informed consent)
- Identify risks and benefits
- Information about your funding
- Information about your data, such as where it will be stored, and how you plan on keeping it confidential
Reminder: given that the CFREB is a diverse committee, the application should be jargon-free and as clear as possible.
The final module contains a specific form to upload all documents relevant to the project. Documentation can include recruitment materials, an informed consent form, the data collection instrument itself, the confidentiality agreement, etc.
After completing all forms and uploading all relevant documents, you submit your application for review.
Clicking on this link will take you to the IRISS Sandbox. The Sandbox will allow you to explore the application process and familiarize yourself with the forms before you start the application for your SoTL project.
To create an account on IRISS and begin your application, Click here to access the IRISS website. Start by clicking on “Login: IRISS” and complete each of the prompts.
Click here to proceed to Step 4
Nancy L. Chick 