sIRB Review Fees
Overview
The Stanford IRB charges review fees for Relying Sites that use the Stanford IRB as the Reviewing IRB (e.g. multiple sites using a single IRB).
Investigators must ensure that the study budget can cover these costs for the for the full span of the study’s activity at Stanford. Unpaid fees may delay IRB review processes.
Fee amounts are reassessed every 3-5 years and changes may occur. A new fee schedule will be released anytime fees change.
2026 Single IRB Fee Schedule
The fee schedule below applies to all studies relying on Stanford as the Reviewing sIRB that are initiated on or after January 1, 2026. This fee schedule applies for the duration of the study.
| Submission Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Relying Site Initial Review (per site fee) | $1,500 |
| Relying Site Continuing/Annual Review (per site fee) | $1,500 |
An electronic invoice is sent upon completion of the IRB’s review of the external site submission. Generally, the electronic invoice is sent at the same time as the submission’s approval letter. The electronic invoice will be sent via email to Protocol Director and the main contacts on the external IRB application, and will include the fee amount as well as instructions for how to make a payment.
The Stanford IRB recognizes that not all studies receive funding from a formal source, but may still need IRB coverage for an external site. Contact the Single IRB team for a consultation to determine how these needs may be met at singleirb@stanford.edu.
The Stanford IRB will assess every study to determine if Stanford is a good fit to act as the Reviewing IRB. Fit accounts for researcher needs, Stanford IRB expertise and capacity and institutional risk. All decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and an investigator should not assume the Stanford IRB will agree to act as the Reviewing IRB.
Stanford would generally not be considered a good fit to serve as the Reviewing IRB in the following scenarios:
- Industry sponsored drug and device trials;
- Federally funded studies if Stanford is not the lead site, coordinating center, or primary contributor to the project;
- Studies with a large number of sites;
- Projects with complex study designs and procedures; or
- Studies that include sites in different states when there is conflicting state laws related to the research.
Stanford may be considered a good fit to serve as Reviewing IRB in the following scenarios:
- Studies that qualify as minimal risk;
- Federally funded studies where Stanford is the lead site, coordinating center, or primary contributor to the project;
- Studies with sites that are familiar to the Stanford IRB, such as:
- Sites the Stanford IRB has worked with before,
- Sites that have similar institutional HRPP practices as Stanford, or
- Sites that are AAHRPP accredited or CARE-Q certified; or
- Studies with community sites that partner with Stanford.
If you are unsure whether your study meets the general criteria for the Stanford IRB to consider acting as Reviewing IRB, please contact the Single IRB team at singleirb@stanford.edu.