A PERA SmartForm is an interactive online form used to collect information for research submissions. The form adjusts based on your responses, guiding you through only the questions relevant to your project. Information entered into a SmartForm is used to support compliance review, approvals, and overall research administration processes within PERA.

Protocol templates are located in PERA IRB Library Templates

Most likely you are not the PI. Only the person listed as the PI can submit a study to the IRB. If you are editing the study in PERA on behalf of the PI, you will need to communicate with the PI when the study is ready for their review and submission.

Comments are a great way to communicate with the HRPP/IRB team, but they do not send the submission back to them for review. All documents and updates you make in the comments should be reflected within the PERA SmartForm and documents located there to be incorporated into the review. Then, the PI should submit the response in PERA.

Upload it in the Submit Response step in the Supporting Documents tab.

After you add them as study personnel, click on the Training tab.

All study personnel will be listed. Look for

CITI Group 1. Biomedical Research Investigators and Key Personnel OR

CITI Group 2. Social Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel

YES! You will still have full access to your study and all documents in Cayuse until March 31, 2029.

The Smart Form in PERA is intended to capture details for reporting and study assignment purposes, rather than for IRB review of study details, whereas in Cayuse, all protocol details were entered into a Smart Form. This is an inherent difference in platform functionality and in the short-run, has created some logistical hurdles that we fully recognize.

HRPP staff worked closely with the PERA data migration team to map out the process to migrate existing, approved studies from Cayuse to PERA. The migration was limited to basic study information, personnel, and study materials. The decision was made to ask investigators to integrate their written procedures from Cayuse into the new PERA protocol template (HRP-503a and HRP-503c). This decision was not made lightly, as we are aware of the burden that this places on investigators and their study teams.

Investigators with protocols that were migrated from Cayuse are being asked to complete the new PERA template only in the event of modifications to study procedures or for continuing review. That is, the ‘old’ Cayuse protocol will be carried forward within PERA until the first modification or until it is time for regular continuing review. Completing the new PERA protocol template should generally require copying and pasting information from the old Cayuse protocol into the relevant sections of the PERA template. It should require minimal writing of ‘new’ information from scratch. Addition and/or removal of Key/Study Personnel may be made in PERA without migrating protocol details into the protocol template.

1) It was a COEUS legacy study that was initially approved in COEUS. These studies were not migrated to PERA and you must reapply to the IRB in PERA if you would like to continue this research.

2) Your study in Cayuse was given a determination of “not human subjects research” or “not engaged” and it was not migrated to PERA. Modifications are not needed on these since they are not overseen by the HRPP or IRB.

3) Your study was actually a development only/”118” approval for your study sponsor, likely NSF. You will need to submit your study in PERA when you have everything developed to conduct your human research.

4) Your study’s approval lapsed in Cayuse prior to October 2025 and requires continuing review under the regulations. These studies are “expired” and do not have IRB approval. You will need to re-apply in PERA. If you have conducted any research involving human participants or their private identifiable information, you must submit a RNI in PERA immediately.

5) Your study was not finalized in Cayuse. You may have been in the middle of responding to requested revisions and you didn’t make it to the finish line before the IRB stopped using Cayuse in October. Unfortunately, you will need to start over and apply in PERA.

No, the short title should match the Title of the study.

The person will need to add their Purdue credentials to their CITI account.  Their Purdue Career Account email should be the primary email listed.  Then they need to use “log in through my institution”. Please see CITI Registration Information.

If they engaged in the research, yes, they need to be added to that section of the SmartForm. If they are only serving in an administrative role on the study and are not interacting or intervening with participants or their private identifiable information, then they do not need to be added as a Study Team Member.

Go to PERA Training Compliance IRB  look for the tile Create a NEW STUDY.

This can be done ONLY for Non-Exempt research. You need to complete 2 documents:  HRP-503e-Protocol-External-IRB-Site-Supplement-2  &   HRP-593-Appendix-G-Multi-site-Research. They are located in PERA IRB Library Templates

The completed form should be uploaded in the PERA SmartForm where it asks for the protocol.

Only if you are changing the PI. This needs to be done in an “other parts of the study” modification. 

If the Pre-Review button or the IRB Review button is orange, the submission is with our office for review. If the Pre-Submission, Clarifications Requested or Modifications Required buttons are orange, the submission is still with you.

Yes.  Go to PERA Training Compliance IRB  There are tiles and videos for creating a new study, study modifications, etc.

A multi-site study or collaborative study is a project where multiple institutions with an IRB are engaged in non-exempt research.  This happens when Purdue investigators collaborate with one or more non-Purdue researchers from institution(s) with an IRB. In some cases, a reliance arrangement may be needed to have one IRB provide oversight for all sites. See our Human Research Protection Program – Resources and Guidance page for more information.

A single-site study is a project where only Purdue University and its investigators or are engaged in the research.  A single-site study can have multiple research locations, but no other institution’s IRB or individuals are engaged in the research.

These are on the IRB Website under Resources & Guidance Forms and in the PERA Library under Templates https://www.irb.purdue.edu/resources-and-guidance/forms.php

You should read and complete HRP-503b – NHSR Protocol TEMPLATE located in the PERA IRB Library.

If you are not a faculty member, speak with the PI on the study. Ask them for assistance. If you are the PI and/or you are still unsure and have reviewed all resources documents recommended to you and the Investigator Manual, you may need to schedule a meeting or go to IRB Chair Office Hours:  https://www.irb.purdue.edu/get-help/.

Type in “n/a”