University of Maryland Shifts IRB System, College Park Researchers Prepare
On December 4, 2025 the University of Maryland announced it will migrate its electronic human subjects submission platform from IRBNet to Kuali IRB, a module of Kuali Build, with a tentative go live date of January 5, 2026. The change matters to College Park investigators, research administrators and compliance offices because after that date all new initial IRB applications must be submitted through the new system, a move that could affect project timelines and institutional oversight.
The University of Maryland notified campus researchers on December 4, 2025 that it will transition its Institutional Review Board electronic submission system from IRBNet to Kuali IRB, a module of Kuali Build. The university set a tentative go live date of January 5, 2026, and advised that all new initial IRB applications submitted on or after that date must use Kuali IRB. The notice included reminders on transition timing, links to training resources, and a set of frequently asked questions available at research.umd.edu/news.
The announcement places immediate practical obligations on investigators in College Park and across Prince George's County. Research teams preparing new human subjects protocols must plan to file in the new platform after January 5, 2026. Research administrators who manage submissions for laboratories and centers will need to update internal workflows, confirm user access, and schedule training to prevent submission delays. Compliance offices within the university will be tasked with ensuring continuity in review processes and preserving audit trails during the migration.
Institutional implications extend beyond administrative logistics. Electronic submission systems carry records that support oversight, reporting and compliance with federal regulations. Transitioning platforms requires careful handling of existing IRBNet records, clear mapping of review statuses, and communication on how pending submissions will be processed. Any gap in access or misunderstanding about the cutover could slow IRB review timelines, delay grant funded work, and affect community based studies that involve Prince George's County residents.
The university signaled an awareness of these risks by offering training resources and an FAQ to minimize disruption. For investigators with projects nearing submission, the practical choice will be whether to submit initial applications before the cutover while systems remain familiar, or to invest in learning Kuali IRB now to avoid duplicate work. Research offices should track the migration closely, ensure staff complete available training, and document changes to submission procedures to maintain transparency and institutional accountability during the transition.
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