Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you are seeking IRB approval for your new project, an amendment or a continuation please submit your request on tick@lab. You must be a registered user in order to have access to the site. The site uses a single-sign on method with your UTRGV credentials. If you are unable to log in (i.e. access denied) please submit an access request.

Access Request Instructions

If you already have an account on tick@lab set up and are having issues accessing your protocols, please contact the Office of Research Compliance. This issue may be a result of a recent update to the system, and can be fixed manually by our staff.

All online surveys are required to be conducted using Qualtrics survey software. Access to this software is provided by UTRGV and managed by UTRGV's IT department. This service can be used to create, manage, distribute and analyze surveys.

YOU MUST OBTAIN IRB APPROVAL PRIOR TO DISTRIBUTING YOUR SURVEY. DISTRIBUTING ANY SURVEYS WITHOUT IRB APPROVAL IS AGAINST UTRGV POLICY.

Note: Effective 6 / 29 / 2017 all persons conducting research are required to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training on the CITI Program website, in addition to any other training required by the committee in which approval is being sought.

An active CITI Human Subjects Protection Training and Responsible Conduct of Research Training   is required for all members of the research team. The Human Subjects Protection Courses are good for 2 years, while the Responsible Conduct of Research Courses are good for 4 years.

As per University policy, all individuals involved in research must complete financial conflicts of interest in research reporting on a yearly basis.

Students who are not employed by UTRGV must complete the paper form found in the section above titled “Submit for IRB Approval on tick@lab” under UTRGV IRB Templates. The form is titled “Outside Activity Disclosure (OAD) Form” and is located in the folder for Researchers. Please submit your OAD form on Tick@Lab with your submission. If you are submitting a new project, you may attach the completed form on the Personnel tab. If you are being added to a project either through an amendment or a continuation, please include the completed form on either the Amendment tab, Continuation tab, or the Personnel tab.

All UTRGV employees must log into the UT System Outside Activity Portal

• Acknowledge the policies and answer the status questions in the Portal.
• Report any outside activity disclosures by clicking on ‘Make New Disclosure’ in the Portal.
• If you have nothing to report, please click on ‘Report No Activity’ in the Portal.

Note: If a new financial interest is acquired that requires disclosure (relates to a project you are working on) you must submit a new form or report it online within 30 days.

For more information, please contact the Office of Research Compliance at (956) 882-7731.

The payment of compensation is subject to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and that I am responsible for complying with such regulations. I also understand that I will need to provide the corresponding disclaimers in the participants’ consent form, to the effect that: (1) compensation is to be provided by me and not UTRGV, and (2) compensation received is considered income for tax purposes. I agree to keep track of the amount and quantity of compensation provided to study participants for a minimum period of 3 years after the study is completed.  

Compensation Agreement Form

Please contact the Office of Research Compliance. This issue may be the result of a recent update to the system and can be fixed manually by the Office of Research Compliance staff. Please do not create additional protocols.

Co-PIs, research personnel, and faculty advisors are added on the Personnel tab of your tick@lab application.

For step-by-step instructions on how to add your research team on the Personnel tab, see the  Training for New Project Submission Guide.

If you cannot find a researcher from the list, there is a possibility that the researcher is not a registered user in Tick@Lab or their account may need updating. Please contact the Office of Research Compliance for assistance.

At times, the CITI website and tick@lab do not sync up properly and your completion records may not be reflected on your tick@lab application. You will still be able to submit your application by attaching a copy of your training certificates from CITI to the Training section (tab) of your tick@lab application.

If you do not have a "Signatures" option in the Workflow button, this may be due to not being listed as a Reviewer and Signer on the Personnel tab. PIs, Co-PIs, and Faculty Advisors that need to review and sign the application before submission need to be assigned in the Reviewers and Signers section of the Personnel tab. 

If you are able to click on "Signatures" but nothing happens, this may be due to pop-up blockers. Please ensure that you have allowed pop-ups for this site in the browser that you are using to sign. 

For step-by-step instructions on how to sign and submit your application, see the Training for New Project Submission Guide