ARROW Release Notes

Major updates to ARROW are released every two months and include a wide range of modifications focused on enhancing the user-interface, expanding administrative efficiencies, and remaining in compliance with all regulatory requirements. Some highlights of the work accomplished toward these efforts include:

Release: 08/03/19

Featured Enhancements
ARROW General
  • Server Migration – All ARROW virtual machines have been rebuilt in a new, more secure subnet environment.
IRB
Additional Updates
  • Added additional pages to the Biosafety form for users of Select Agents.
  • Bug fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 06/01/19

Featured Enhancements
IRB
  • SMPH Feasibility Review – SMPH PIs are now required to submit a completed feasibility checklist that includes sign-off by a department liaison along with their ARROW protocol. More information about the new SMPH policy can be found here: https://ictr.wisc.edu/protocol-feasibility/
  • Department Level Access – Read-only access to department specific IRB protocols can now be granted to university administrators needing to track research activity within their department.
IACUC
  • New Amendment Workflow – The IACUC protocol amendment process has been updated to better capture modifications and remove redundant questions. Previously, a PI would be asked what they planned to change and why before updating their protocol. Now the PI will make their updates first, ARROW will present a list of all changes made, and then ask for a brief explanation at the end of the form.

Release: 03/30/19

Featured Enhancements
IRB
  • Study Team training snapshot – The IRB training snapshot has been updated to align with the recently launched IACUC training activity. This new snapshot uses information from the protocol to determine training requirements for each member of the study team and is available to PIs, committee members and IRB staff.
  • Exemption survey – The IRB Approval Feedback survey currently sent to PIs after a Full IRB review will now also be sent after Exempt reviews. VCRGE Administration uses feedback from this survey to help direct future quality improvements to the IRB review process.
IACUC
  • Biosafety integration – The Recombinant Materials and Agents sections have been removed from the IACUC protocol. This information is now pulled directly from the associated Biosafety protocol and is available via the OBS Summary report.
  • Additional training notifications – Required training notifications will now be sent at the beginning of the IACUC Review process to allow study teams more time to schedule and complete their training. A second email will be sent when the protocol is approved. Training notifications have also been added during the IACUC Amendment and Non-review Change processes.
  • Initial protocol updates – Modifications have been made to the following pages of the IACUC Application: Surgery Summary, Euthanasia Methods, Wildlife Hazard, Nonsurgical procedure, and Duplication.
Additional Updates
  • Various modifications to Biosafety and SCRO forms
  • Bug fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 01/26/19

Featured Enhancements
IRB
  • sIRB – New forms, workspaces and activities have been added to support multi-site studies where UW’s IRB will oversee the research project. For more information regarding collaborative research and single IRB review visit:
    HS/MR IRB: https://kb.wisc.edu/hsirbs/21707
    Ed/SBS IRB: https://kb.wisc.edu/images/group99/shared/SingleIRBApplication.pdf
  • Revised Common Rule – Following recent changes to the Common Rule (see this link for more details: https://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=89153) new labeling has been added to the IRB workspace indicating which version of the Rule applies to the study. Additionally, a method has been implemented to update the regulatory status of the study once all requirements are met.
IACUC
  • Biosafety integration – The Biological Hazards section of the IACUC protocol has been greatly reduced, removing any redundant information already being collected as part of a Biosafety protocol. A summary report from the associated Biosafety protocols is now available for IACUC review staff and committee members. In addition, for IACUC studies without an associated Biosafety protocol (e.g. studies involving BSL1) the new “Other Hazards” section on the IACUC protocol can be used to capture the required information.
  • Training notification email – When an IACUC protocol is approved, a new email will be sent to study team members who lack the required training to perform their designated assignments. Study team members will then have sixty days to complete the requested training or risk being removed from the study.
Additional Updates
  • Graphical enhancements to the ARROW “Start” wizard
  • Bug fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 12/01/18

Featured Enhancements
IACUC
  • "View Study Team Training" activity – This new activity uses information from the protocol to determine training requirements for each member on the study team. PIs and committee members can easily review the current status of an individual's training to better ensure compliance with RARC policy. Available data in the activity includes RARC classes, EH&S administered safety courses and ACRQ training.
  • Chemical Hazards section – Revisions have been made to simplify and shorten the Chemical Hazards section of the IACUC initial smartform.
IRB
  • Contextual questions – Throughout the IRB initial application and change of protocol form, context awareness has been implemented revealing follow-up questions only when relevant. For example, a question that previously began: "If you answered yes to question 4.1, please indicate…" will now only appear if yes was selected for question 4.1. This should greatly reduce the number of irrelevant questions shown to a researcher while moving through the forms.
Additional Updates
  • Further improvements to error messages throughout ARROW
  • Development for the future release of the sIRB project
  • Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 09/29/18

Featured Enhancements
ARROW General
  • Improved error messages – The formatting and display of error messages throughout ARROW has been standardized.
IRB
  • Study Team Roles redesign – A new interface was created to gather information about study team roles, greatly reducing the amount of data entry required by the PI. Now all roles can be assigned within a single table and designating read and write access for the form is no longer required.
  • Initial application revisions – Various sections of the IRB initial application have been streamlined to reduce redundancy and simplify questions.
IACUC
  • Biosafety integration – IACUC protocols involving biological hazards are now directly connected to the associated Biosafety protocol. This connection is the first phase in a project to reduce redundancy between IACUC and Biosafety by sharing protocol data between both forms.
  • UI Improvements for IACUC committee – Reviewers can quickly access summary information regarding Special Considerations, Locations, and Contacts using the "More Details" tool.
Additional Updates
  • EH&S animal safety courses added to IACUC Assignments & Qualifications page
  • Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 07/28/18

Featured Enhancements
IRB
  • "Add Standard IRB Language" feature – Questions in the Ed/SBS IRB initial application now offer suggested responses and examples that can be used as a starting point then modified to fit each study's specific use-case.
IACUC
  • "Import RARC Standard Data" feature – Questions within the Special Details section of the initial smartform now offer suggested responses that can be used as a starting point then modified to fit each study's specific use-case.
Additional Updates
  • Wording changes in the Biosafety form to improve accuracy and clarity
  • Consultation with UW Cybersecurity
  • Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements

Release: 06/02/18

Featured Enhancements
ARROW General
  • Automated emails – Messages sent from ARROW have been revised to include an official university header, a more detailed subject line and better guidance information.
  • Printable PDFs – Using the new "Export Protocol to PDF" activity, it's now easier to find, create and download PDF versions of ARROW applications.
IRB
  • GCP Training - Good Clinical Practice training is now required for some Ed/SBS studies. The training snapshot activity has been updated to reflect this new requirement.
Additional Updates
  • Bug Fixes and Performance Enhancements

Previous ARROW Update information...