Meetings generally have a scheduling deadline of one week prior to the meeting. For more information about the IRB panels, how submissions are scheduled for meetings, and how you’ll know if your submission has been scheduled, please see below.
Health Sciences IRB 2026 Meeting Dates
| Panel A | Panel B | Panel C | Panel D | Panel E | Panel F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 6 | July 2 | July 14 | July 20 | July 23 | July 28 |
| August 3 | August 6 | August 11 | August 17 | August 20 | August 25 |
| September 10 | September 15 | September 21 | September 24 | September 29 | |
| October 5 | October 8 | October 13 | October 19 | October 22 | October 27 |
| November 2 | November 5 | November 10 | November 16 | November 19 | November 24 |
| November 30 | December 3 | December 8 | December 14 | December 17 |
Panel A – First Monday
Panel B – First Thursday
Panel C – Second Tuesday (following the second Monday)
Panel D – Third Monday
Panel E – Third Thursday (following the third Monday)
Panel F – Fourth Tuesday (following the fourth Monday)
* Dates may fluctuate to account for holiday scheduling.
Minimal Risk Research IRB 2026 Meeting Dates
| Panel 1 | Panel 2 |
|---|---|
| July 15 | July 27 |
| August 12 | August 24 |
| September 16 | September 28 |
| October 14 | October 26 |
| November 11 | November 23 |
| December 9 |
Panel 1 – Second Wednesday
Panel 2 – Fourth Monday
* Dates may fluctuate to account for holiday scheduling.
Meeting Information
Select each tab for more information about IRB meetings.
About IRB Panels & Meeting Dates
UW-Madison’s two IRBs – the Health Sciences (HS) IRB and Minimal Risk Research (MRR) IRB – are divided into smaller groups called “panels” that each meet once per month on the schedule above. For the HS IRB, this means 6 meetings per month; for the MRR IRB, two meetings per month. The total number of monthly meetings can fluctuate due to holiday scheduling.
Each panel is supported by an IRB Chair or Vice Chair and a Panel Administrator who is also an IRB analyst. Federal regulations, also outlined in HRP 304 – WORKSHEET – IRB Composition, require that each panel has at least 5 regular members (inclusive of the Panel Chair and IRB analyst) who represent a variety of professional expertise and backgrounds pertinent to the submissions they review. Each panel has at least one member who is unaffiliated with UW-Madison, as well as at least one member with a non-scientific background, as defined in HRP 001 – SOP – Definitions. It also defines “Prisoner Representative,” who may attend any IRB meeting at which research involving incarcerated participants is being reviewed.
How We Schedule IRB Submissions for Convened IRB Review
Submissions that require review by a convened IRB (e.g., full IRB review) go through a pre-review process with an IRB analyst to help ensure that submission materials are complete, clear, and consistent. During pre-review, the IRB analyst sends comments to the research team in ARROW. When the analyst has reviewed research team responses to pre-review comments and the submission is review-ready, the IRB analyst schedules it for an upcoming panel meeting.
Generally, the goal is to schedule submissions to the earliest possible meeting date. Several factors influence scheduling:
- Meeting agendas are finalized one week prior to meeting dates, to provide IRB panel members time to review submissions in advance of the meeting. For scheduling purposes, this means that the earliest possible meeting date will be at least one week after a submission is review-ready.
- Analysts need time (typically a few days) prior to a scheduling deadline to review responses to pre-review comments. Follow up comments may need to be addressed before the submission is review-ready.
- When IRB analysts are aware that a study has a specific funding or other deadline, we make every effort to schedule the study for a meeting prior to that deadline. Study teams should specify any externally-imposed deadlines or urgency when submitting in ARROW.
- If review requires specific expertise, a study may be scheduled for a panel that includes that expertise.
- If the agenda for the next meeting date is lengthy, a study may be scheduled for a later meeting.
- Deferred submissions are typically reviewed by the same panel as the original submission. For example, if Panel B defers a new study or change of protocol, the deferral response will be scheduled for the next Panel B meeting.
How do I know when my submission is scheduled for an IRB meeting?
When a submission has been scheduled, the principal investigator and points of contact receive a notification from ARROW. Study teams can also contact the IRB analyst assigned to the item with questions about scheduling.
For Staff Use Only: Scheduling, Minutes, and Letter Deadlines