How to Submit a Research Proposal to NHRC Through IRERP
NHRC now accepts new research proposals only through IRERP, the Integrated Research Ethics Review Platform. An existing ERB account does not carry over. This guide covers the migration, what still belongs in ERB, and how to submit without losing weeks.
Independent guide, not an official website
Nepal Docs Guide is not affiliated with the Government of Nepal. This guide helps you prepare, but official portals and offices control final rules, fees, forms, and timelines.
Quick answer
Open irerp.nhrc.gov.np and register a new account, even if you already hold an ERB login, because credentials do not transfer. All new proposals must go through IRERP; the old ERB system at erb.nhrc.gov.np no longer accepts new submissions and remains in use only for proposals filed before the migration. After logging in, use the Submit New Proposal control on the dashboard. नयाँ प्रस्ताव अब IRERP मै पेस गर्नुपर्छ; पुरानो ERB खाता आफैं सर्दैन, नयाँ दर्ता गर्नुहोस्।
Eligibility
- Nepali researchers or institutions conducting health research in Nepal
- Students whose thesis or dissertation involves human participants, biological samples or identifiable health data
- Foreign or collaborating researchers proposing health research in Nepal
- Institutions submitting on behalf of a research team
- Researchers whose ERB login no longer accepts a new submission
- Anyone deciding whether their study needs NHRC review or their institution's registered IRC
Required documents checklist
- □ Full research proposal or protocol
- □ Data collection tools, including questionnaires, interview guides and case record forms
- □ Participant information sheet
- □ Informed consent form, in Nepali and English where participants require it
- □ Investigator credentials and CVs
- □ Institutional approval or IRC decision, where applicable
- □ Institutional support or affiliation letter
- □ Budget details, since fee assessment can depend on study budget
- □ Ethical approval from a collaborating country's body, for international studies
- □ The exact document set shown inside IRERP for your submission type, which is the authoritative list
Step-by-step process
- Determine your review route first. Confirm whether the study goes to NHRC's Ethical Review Board or to your institution's registered Institutional Review Committee. NHRC publishes separate IRC guidelines that set the boundary, and submitting to the wrong body costs weeks.
- Open irerp.nhrc.gov.np and register a new account. Do this even if you already hold ERB credentials, because NHRC states that accounts do not carry over.
- Do not try to repair an ERB login instead. If ERB will not accept your submission, the account is not broken; new submissions simply no longer go through it.
- Log in and open a new submission using the Submit New Proposal control, reported to sit at the bottom-left of the IRERP dashboard.
- Work through the platform fields and upload the document set IRERP specifies for your proposal type, rather than the set you used for a previous submission.
- Confirm the current review fee and payment route inside IRERP or directly with NHRC before transferring anything, because the amount can depend on researcher category and study budget.
- Track the proposal in IRERP after submission. Reviewer queries and revisions for IRERP submissions stay in IRERP.
- Keep pre-migration proposals in ERB. Anything submitted before the migration, including one under review or in revision, continues to be processed at erb.nhrc.gov.np.
- Respond to reviewer comments promptly, since most delay after submission comes from revision turnaround, which is within your control.
Fees and timelines
- NHRC charges a fee for ethical review. Published fee structures distinguish between researcher categories and can scale with study budget, so no single figure applies to every applicant.
- This guide deliberately does not state a fee amount, because NHRC has not published one that applies universally and an outdated figure is worse than none. Confirm the amount and payment channel inside IRERP or with NHRC before paying.
- NHRC does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for ethical review.
- Review duration depends on proposal type, completeness of the submission, whether the study is expedited or requires full board review, and how quickly you return revisions.
- The platform migration is itself worth factoring in, because a new system means new accounts and new workflows for reviewers as well as applicants.
- Do not book fieldwork, staff or participant recruitment against an assumed approval date. Build genuine slack into the study timeline instead.
Common mistakes
- Trying to log into ERB and concluding the account was deleted. This is the defining mistake of the current moment. The ERB account still exists and still works for its remaining purpose; it just does not accept new proposals.
- Submitting a legacy proposal's revision into IRERP. The split runs the other way. Pre-migration proposals continue in ERB, including revisions, and opening a duplicate in IRERP creates two records of one study.
- Skipping the IRC question. Researchers frequently submit to NHRC when their institution's registered IRC is the correct first step, or the reverse. Read NHRC's IRC guidelines before choosing.
- Submitting an incomplete document set to start the clock. Incomplete submissions do not start a clock; they generate a query and restart your turnaround.
- Assuming a foreign ethical approval substitutes for NHRC approval. For research conducted in Nepal, approval from a collaborating institution abroad does not replace NHRC review.
- Budgeting without the review fee. Because the fee can scale with study budget, it is a line item to establish early rather than at submission.
- Planning fieldwork against an assumed approval date when no guaranteed timeline is published.
- Relying on a fee figure quoted by a third-party website rather than confirming with NHRC.
Which platform handles your proposal
| Your situation | Where it belongs | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Brand new proposal | IRERP | Register a new account at irerp.nhrc.gov.np and submit there |
| Proposal submitted before the migration | ERB | Continue at erb.nhrc.gov.np; do not resubmit in IRERP |
| Pre-migration proposal now in revision | ERB | Return the revision through ERB, where the record lives |
| You hold an old ERB login | Both, for different purposes | Register separately in IRERP; the ERB login does not transfer |
| Study your institution's IRC can approve | Institutional IRC | Check NHRC IRC guidelines before sending anything to NHRC |
Guide at a glance
| Check | What to review |
|---|---|
| Who it helps | Nepali researchers or institutions conducting health research in Nepal |
| Key documents | Full research proposal or protocol; Data collection tools, including questionnaires, interview guides and case record forms; Participant information sheet; Informed consent form, in Nepali and English where participants require it |
| First step | Determine your review route first. Confirm whether the study goes to NHRC's Ethical Review Board or to your institution's registered Institutional Review Committee. NHRC publishes separate IRC guidelines that set the boundary, and submitting to the wrong body costs weeks. |
| Official source | IRERP - Integrated Research Ethics Review Platform |
Final check before submission
Recheck the application against this common mistake: Trying to log into ERB and concluding the account was deleted. This is the defining mistake of the current moment. The ERB account still exists and still works for its remaining purpose; it just does not accept new proposals.. Then confirm the current instruction with IRERP - Integrated Research Ethics Review Platform and keep evidence of submission.
Office and portal links
Printable checklist
How to Submit a Research Proposal to NHRC Through IRERP
- Review route confirmed - NHRC ERB or institutional IRC
- New IRERP account registered, separate from any ERB account
- Research proposal or protocol finalised
- Data collection tools attached
- Participant information sheet prepared
- Informed consent form prepared in the languages participants need
- Investigator CVs and credentials ready
- Institutional or IRC approval obtained where required
- Budget details prepared, including the review fee
- Collaborating country's ethical approval attached, for international studies
- Current fee confirmed with NHRC before payment
- Study timeline built with slack rather than an assumed approval date
FAQ
Official sources
Use these references for final confirmation before applying. Nepal Docs Guide is independent and does not replace official instructions.
- IRERP - Integrated Research Ethics Review Platform
Nepal Health Research Council
Official platform for all new ethical review submissions following the migration from ERB.
- IRERP getting started
Nepal Health Research Council
Official onboarding guidance for registering and submitting in IRERP.
- NHRC Ethics
Nepal Health Research Council
Official ethics section covering review routes, requirements and current guidance.
- NHRC Ethical Review Board
Nepal Health Research Council
Official ERB page. The board is noted as FERCAP recognised since 2019.
- NHRC Institutional Review Committee
Nepal Health Research Council
Official IRC page used to determine whether institutional review is the correct route.
- NHRC IRC guidelines
Nepal Health Research Council
Official guidelines governing registration and scope of Institutional Review Committees.
- NHRC ethics FAQ
Nepal Health Research Council
Official answers to recurring questions about ethical review.
- Legacy ERB system
Nepal Health Research Council
Legacy platform retained for tracking and managing proposals submitted before IRERP.
Need official confirmation?
If your case involves corrections, deadlines, legal use, foreign submission, or a rejected application, contact the relevant official office before paying fees or submitting documents.
Author
Nepal Docs Guide Editorial Desk
Citizen services research team
The editorial desk prepares independent, plain-language summaries from cited official sources and reader correction reports. It does not claim government affiliation, professional credentials, or field testing.