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Observational Studies

Non-Interventional Research

~18 minutes 11 Required Fields

What You'll Need to Have Ready

  • Study design type (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, etc.)
  • Data sources (medical records, registries, existing datasets, observations)
  • Variables and outcomes being measured
  • De-identification or coding procedures for PHI/PII
  • Justification for waiver of consent (if applicable)
  • HIPAA compliance plan for protected health information
  • Data analysis plan and access controls

What to Expect

  • Questions about observational study design and methodology
  • Data source specifications and access permissions
  • HIPAA-compliant de-identification procedures
  • Waiver of consent justification (if using existing data)
  • Privacy safeguards for secondary data use
  • Validation of limited data set and safe harbor methods

IRB Compliance

Aligned with HIPAA Privacy Rule §164.514 for de-identification and secondary use. Covers waiver of consent criteria under 45 CFR 46.116(d) for minimal risk observational research.

HIPAA §164.514 De-identification Safe Harbor Waiver of Consent §46.116(d) Limited Data Sets Secondary Data Use

Your Data, Your Control

You can enable Local Mode to keep all your proposal data in your browser only. Your work auto-saves as you go, and you can export it at any time. Learn more

Select Your Institution(s)

Select one or more institutions to align your proposal with their specific requirements. If filing with multiple IRBs, we'll combine their requirements.

1
Select Organization Type(s)
Tip: Select "Other" options if your specific organization isn't listed. We'll use a generic template that works for most IRBs.
~18 minutes
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IRB-ready exports