Office of Research Protections announces changes

Office of Research Protections announces changes

The Office for Research Protections (ORP) would like to the University community aware of several changes that have recently occurred or will be occurring shortly within the ORP or with the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

-- ORP has moved to Innovation Park. Please visit http://www.research.psu.edu/orp/moving.asp online for more details. The move has provided the ORP, the IRB, and other compliance committees with more adequate space to conduct business. Paper application submissions can be mailed to The 330 Building, Suite 205 via campus mail or dropped off at the new location.

-- ORP is piloting on-campus office hours during fall semester.

Even though the ORP has moved off of central campus, we want to remain as accessible as possible to the research community. For those who prefer to meet with an IRB coordinator in person to discuss protocol related issues, the ORP IRB team will be offering on-campus office hours at the HUB-Robeson Center from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday beginning Aug. 25 through Dec. 15 (with the exception of Nov. 24 due to Thanksgiving/Fall break).

The ORP office hours desk will be located near the lounge area to the right of the HUB information desk and just to the left of the grand staircase on the main floor. Investigators involving human participants in their research are encouraged to use this time to meet with coordinators and have their questions answered.

-- The University Park IRBs are restructuring.

As of September 2009, there will no longer be separate Biomedical and Social Science IRBs. Rather, there will be two IRBs (IRB #1 and IRB #2) each comprised of members that will be able to review either Biomedical research or Social Science research protocols. IRB #1 will meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. IRB #2 will meet at 11:30 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Due to the restructuring and subsequent new meeting dates (posted online at http://www.research.psu.edu/orp/areas/humans/irbmeetings.asp), there will no longer be submission deadline dates for full review studies. Full review submissions will be prescreened and once determined to be complete enough to be presented to the full IRB a submission will be assigned to the next available IRB meeting date. This new policy is applicable to new full review applications and modifications to full review studies. Please note that continuing progress reports for full review studies will need to be received in a timely fashion so that they can be reviewed at an IRB meeting prior to the study’s expiration date.

Investigators are strongly advised to contact either Tracie Kahler at tlk14@psu.edu or Stephanie Krout at sqk2@psu.edu prior to submitting a new full review application or modification in order to assist you with the submission process. 

-- Spring IRB 101 Workshops announced:

The IRB team is presenting the “IRB 101 Workshops” for new faculty, staff and students. It is also a great refresher for current faculty, staff and students. The series is designed to familiarize researchers with the IRB, the application process and a historical perspective of why protecting human participants in research is important. These workshops can be used toward the SARI requirements. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required If at least 10 individuals do not sign up for a specific date, the workshop will be canceled. To see times and topics, and to register, visit http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=researchprotect&fm=2 online.

-- The IRB is implementing an eSubmission application for all new applications as of Oct. 1. Currently, investigators in the College of Health and Human Development are using the system. The eSubmission application will become mandatory for all other University Park colleges on Oct. 1. After that date, paper applications for new studies will no longer be accepted from researchers at University Park.

Training sessions for how to use the eSubmission system will be offered at the following times:

-- From 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, in 110 Henderson Building/The Bennett-Pierce Living Center;
-- From noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, in 127 Noll Laboratory;
-- From 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Sept. 23, in 127 Noll Laboratory;
-- From 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 24, in 508 Rider Building;
-- From 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 28, in 301D Life Sciences Building; and
-- From 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 30, in 127 Noll Laboratory.

For more information, contact the ORP at 814-865-1775.