Does Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval need to be obtained before applicants are notified whether the project has been funded?

No. IRB approval does not need to be obtained prior to submitting an application. However, IRB documentation, if applicable, will be required as one of the first post-award milestones. Accordingly, after the Awardee Institution is notified of the award, the PI should seek IRB approval if he or she has not done so already to avoid delaying the research project.