6 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You’ll start by checking Microsoft 365 mail and the shared ethics tracker for new applications and deadlines. Expect tasks like screening new research ethics forms for missing signatures or documents, then flagging problems to the researcher by email or Teams.
Afternoons often go to meeting prep: create an agenda in Word, assemble reviewer packs in SharePoint, and run a quick tech check before the IRB/REB meeting. After meetings you draft minutes and update the approvals record in Excel or the records folder.
Excel for the approvals tracker and deadlines, Word for agendas and formal minutes, Outlook and Teams for researcher and reviewer communications, and SharePoint for storing application files and version control.
You’ll also use OneDrive to share drafts and Teams meeting features (recording, chat) during IRB/REB meetings. Basic fluency—saving, sharing, version history, and simple formulas in Excel—is enough to start.
Yes, but cautiously. You can use AI to create a first draft of minutes or a plain-language guidance sheet, then edit for accuracy, tone, and confidentiality. Never upload identifiable participant data or unpublished study materials to public AI services.
Keep a human in the loop: check factual details (decisions, conditions, vote counts), remove any confidential info, and save the final versions in your secure SharePoint site. Follow your institution’s data and AI policies.
Salaries vary by country and institution. In many universities in the U.S. or UK, expect a range roughly from entry level (~USD 40,000 / GBP 23,000) to experienced coordinator (~USD 60–70,000 / GBP 35–45,000).
Pay depends on region, institution size, whether you handle clinical trials, and how many review panels you manage. Job listings or university HR pages give the exact numbers for a specific role.
Begin with your institution’s ethics policy and the IRB/REB submission checklist—these list required forms, consent templates, and common missing items. Practice by reviewing a few past applications (with identifiers removed) and comparing them to the checklist.
Take short courses: many universities offer an online Research Ethics or Good Clinical Practice module. Pair with an experienced coordinator for a few weeks to learn the common red flags and how to phrase requests for corrections.
An Ethics Review Board Coordinator focuses on the ethics review process: screening applications, preparing agendas and minutes, and tracking approvals. You’re the link between researchers and ethical reviewers, not the project manager for the research itself.
A Research Administrator handles grants, budgets, and compliance more broadly. A Clinical Trials Coordinator manages study visits, participant data, and regulatory filings for a specific trial. Ethics coordinators deal with committee procedures and documentation across many studies.
Clear, precise writing. You’ll write short emails asking for missing documents, formal minutes that record decisions exactly, and plain-language guidance for researchers. Mistakes or vague phrasing cause delays or compliance problems.
Pair that with attention to detail: missing a signature or wrong version of a consent form can stop an application. Good writing plus checklist discipline keeps the review process moving.