Are there any formatting requirements for consent documents submitted to the IRB office?
The MSU IRBs have developed a system of electronic consent forms with an IRB expiration footer. When approved, the files are converted to a PDF format and are placed on line with the file associated with your project. The PDF will be print only. This system allows you instant access to the latest approved consent form whenever you want it. Please adhere to the following when submitting your consent document: • Submit document in Microsoft Word format (xxx.doc). • Do not use text boxes in the consent form. They will not transform when converted to PDF. • Do not place a footer in your consent document or place any text within one inch of the bottom. • Leave a 1-inch margin at the bottom so the IRB office can place the approval footer. If you cannot simply use PDF printouts (e.g. mail merge), let the IRB staff know and they can work with you to get the approval footer on your document. The current approved IRB consent form with the IRB expiration footer must be used. *If your study is EXE
