Application

To apply to CAMRIS, please complete the CAMRIS application. You may save the application at any time and return to it; simply press the “Save & Return Later” button, which will result in a “Return Code” necessary for re-accessing the application. Please prepare the following study documents prior to applying:

• IRB Protocol 
• Informed Consent Form
• On-scanner MRI Imaging Protocol (Need help acquiring this? Submit a 'Request On-Scanner MRI Protocol Configuration or Modification' ticket at the CAMRIS Help Center)
• Site Qualification Survey (if applicable)
• Prospective Reimbursement Analysis (PRA) budget spreadsheet 

If you intend to use a device as part of your MRI research, CAMRIS must review and approve the device prior to usage through a separate application process. Click here for details.

To apply for a Prodev award, you must have an IRB-approved study that has also been approved (or submitted for review) by the CAMRIS Committee. The CAMRIS Application is available here. If your protocol was already approved by CAMRIS, you can apply for a Prodev award by submitting a ‘Request Protocol Development (Prodev) Funds’ ticket at the CAMRIS Help Desk. Prodev award recipients who wish to apply for a renewal or extension should also submit a ‘Request Protocol Development (Prodev) Funds’ ticket at the CAMRIS Help Desk.

The CAMRIS committee will review new applications during the monthly review meeting. Renewals and extensions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Prodev recipients are required to submit an annual report by submitting a ‘Request Protocol Development (Prodev) Funds’ ticket at the CAMRIS Help Desk.

Please refer to SOP 103: Project Development (Prodev) Funding for important details related to securing a Prodev award.

The Small Animal Imaging Facility (SAIF) core manages small animal research study reviews. The application link is available on the SAIF website. 

The Large Animal Imaging Facility (LAIF) manages large animal research study reviews. The application link is available on the LAIF webpage.

CAMRIS reviews modifications that relate to study activities occurring in the MR facility. This includes changes to the patient population, equipment, contrast administration, MR time points, and other MR-related activities. To submit a modification for CAMRIS review, please file a "Request CAMRIS Protocol Modification" ticket at the CAMRIS Help Desk. You will need to provide a track change version of the study protocol and informed consent form highlighting all changes. IRB approval is required prior to implementation of any changes. 

Please note: You do not need to file a modification form for sequence changes only. If you need assistance making a change to the sequences associated with your protocol on the scanner, there is a separate ticket to request on-scanner MR protocol modifications. Additionally, you do not need to submit a modification form for administrative changes related to funding information and study staff on approved protocols. Those changes can be entered directly into the CAMRIS billing system (PBR) by following these instructions: 

• How to add or remove study staff in PBR
• How to add or change a funding source in PBR

The CAMRIS review committee discusses applications on a monthly basis (see the CAMRIS Dates page for meeting dates and submission deadlines). In approximately 1-2 weeks, CAMRIS will send a letter outlining whether the application is approved or if stipulations are required. To respond to stipulations, please email CAMRIS Administrator (margaret.ryan@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) and attach any requested materials. 

To respond to stipulations, please email CAMRIS Administrator (margaret.ryan@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) a written response to each stipulation and attach all requested materials. CAMRIS will review your response and issue a final approval letter if satisfactory.

The CAMRIS Review Committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss MRI research applications. Meetings are generally held within the first two weeks of each month. Please see the CAMRIS Dates page for meeting dates and submission deadlines. 

If you would like to use equipment or a device as part of your MRI research, it will need clearance and approval from CAMRIS prior to use. To get started you will need a CAMRIS service center customer account. Please submit a 'Request Service Desk Account Creation' at the CAMRIS Help Center. Once your customer account is granted, click the log in button (located in the upper right-hand corner of the Help Center home page) and you will be taken to the standard PennKey login screen where you can enter your <pennkey@upenn.edu> username and password. (Note: you must login in with the @upenn.edu email and NOT your @pennmedicine email). Once logged in, you will have access to the device approval form. Please select the 'Request Device Approval' ticket and complete all fields. A member of the CAMRIS physics team will review your request and provide approval as well as instructions for use.

CAMRIS requires submissions to be received approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the monthly review committee meeting. Please check the CAMRIS Dates page for submission deadlines.

If you received CAMRIS approval and are having difficulty booking a study visit on the CAMRIS Scheduling Calendar, please ensure: (1) funding is linked, and (2) you are added as a study staff member, in the CAMRIS Billing Tool (PBR). Please visit our Scheduling page for additional instructions. If continue to have issues, please file an 'Ask a Question' ticket at the CAMRIS Help Desk. 

No, CAMRIS does not require Continuing Review (CR). However, the CAMRIS Scheduling tool is reliant on the approval date in HS-ERA. As such, you must be diligent about filing your CR paperwork with the IRB well in advance of the expiration date, or your scanning privileges may be halted. This is especially important for studies with reliance agreements where Penn is not the primary site. You must submit a copy of the CR approval letter from the central IRB via HS-ERA. When the Penn IRB receives your submission, they will update the expiration date. You may not scan under a different protocol while you await HS-ERA updates. If there is a time crunch or an issue, please email the current approval letter to Patrick Stanko (pstanko@upenn.edu) and he may be able to expedite an HS-ERA system update. Please notify CAMRIS once this is done, and we can restore your calendar access. If you do not notify CAMRIS, it will take approximately 24 hours for the two systems to sync.

Additionally, each year, study teams are required to ensure their funding information and study staff are up to date in the CAMRIS billing system (PBR) in order to continue scanning. Instructions for adding study staff and linking funding are available here: 

• How to add or remove study staff in PBR
• How to add or change a funding source in PBR