Ethics Review Timeline Calculator

Work out ethics review timeline instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Ethics Review Timeline Calculator

Ethics approval takes far longer than researchers plan for. Three weeks of preparation plus eight weeks of full committee review plus one three-week amendment round is fourteen weeks - over three months. Multi-site studies needing governance approvals at each site routinely take six months or more.

Formulas

Total time

total = preparation + committee review + amendment rounds x 3 weeks

Review durations

2 weeks exempt, 4 expedited, 8 full committee, 16 multi-site

Worked example

With the default values below, Ethics Review Timeline Calculator returns Total Time To Approval of 14. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Application preparationminimum 0 weeks: 3 weeks
Review typeone of Exempt or minimal risk, Expedited or delegated review, Full committee review, Multi-site with governance approvals: Full committee review
Expected rounds of amendmentminimum 0: 1

Results

Total Time To Approval: 14 weeks
Committee Review Time: 8 weeks
Time Spent On Amendments: 3 weeks
Total Time In Months: 3.2

Step by step

1Values used
2Total time
3Review durations
4Total Time To Approval= 14 weeks
5Committee Review Time= 8 weeks
6Time Spent On Amendments= 3 weeks
7Total Time In Months= 3.2

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do amendments take three weeks each?

Because responses usually wait for the next committee meeting cycle, which is typically monthly, plus the researcher's turnaround time.

Can I start recruiting while waiting?

No. Any participant contact before approval is a serious breach that can invalidate the data and trigger institutional sanctions.