Recently, our institution received contracts for clinical trials that
included a line item for "IRB fees."  These fees were not solicited
in our negotiations with the sponsors, but appeared in the final
contracts. Our Institutional Review Board has not charged fees in the
past. Has anyone in this discussion group had experience with "IRB
fees?" We are particularly interested in answers to the following
questions:

1) Does your IRB charge IRB fees?  If so, does your IRB only charge
for private sponsor-related protocols? If your IRB charges only for
sponsor-related protocols, then do these IRB protocols receive
priority?

2) How much does your IRB charge?  How was the fee determined?  What
justification does your IRB have for charging such a fee?

3) Specifically, what IRB-related expenses are paid for with the
fees?

4) When does your IRB collect the fees?   Does your IRB collect at
the time of the IRB submission?  If so, what is your IRB's policy if
the study is not initiated?

5) At the time your IRB started collecting fees, what type of
response did you receive from your faculty?

Mike Luczak
Research Administration
Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center
Internet Address:  xxxxxx@wpogate.slu.edu
Phone:  314-577-8108