December 2025 Newsletter
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Stay up-to-date with the latest news and resources from the Office of Research Protections (ORP)
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Warm Wishes and Year-End Reflections from ORP
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As we approach the winter recess, the Office of Research Protections (ORP) sends our warmest wishes to the Pitt community. This time of year offers a welcome opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate the collective efforts that strengthen Pitt’s research enterprise.
In 2025, ORP supported safe, ethical, and regulatory compliant research across campus. We enhanced biosafety and biosecurity oversight, improved efficiency through process-mapping and system upgrades, expanded research security education, updated visitor authorization procedures, strengthened electronic consent guidance, and collaborated on a compliant eReg system for clinical trials—all to aid our investigators and their work. Federal inspectors and accrediting agency site visitors recognized the strength of our research protection programs across campus.
As the year comes to a close, we are grateful to the faculty, staff, students, and partners who make Pitt a leader in outstanding research. We wish you a restful winter break and a wonderful start to the new year, and we look forward to working together again in 2026.
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Earlier this month, ORP's Office of Research Security & Trade Compliance hosted a webinar to help faculty and staff understand new federal requirements related to research security. The session outlined updates driven by the CHIPS and Science Act and other initiatives, including expectations around foreign engagements, training, cybersecurity protections, export controls, and disclosures.
If you missed it, the recorded webinar and slide deck are available.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has clarified its research security training requirements in Notice NOT-OD-26-017. Effective May 25, 2026, institutions must certify that all senior and key personnel listed on a new NIH application, at the time of submission, have completed research security training within the previous 12 months.
At Pitt, the federal research security training is available through the CITI platform. To access it, login to CITI, scroll to the bottom menu (Learner Tools for University of Pittsburgh), and select "Add a Course." On the next page, scroll to the bottom and choose Research Security Training to add it to your training portfolio.
Please note that the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) already require research security training to be completed within one year prior to proposal submission.
Because many investigators submit new applications to federal agencies annually, this training will often need to be completed each year. To reduce burden, Pitt plans to implement a brief refresher module ahead of the NIH deadline, allowing investigators who have already completed the full training to satisfy the annual requirement more efficiently.
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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with broad bipartisan support. This annual "must-pass" piece of legislation sets policy priorities for the Department of Defense (DOD) and national security programs. Because of its necessity, it often serves as a vehicle for provisions that extend beyond immediate defense needs—including policies that directly impact the research community.
The Senate is expected to take up and pass the bill later this December, finalizing the legislation for the President’s signature.
While many provisions are defense-specific, the Association of American Universities (AAU) has summarized several elements of high interest to universities and researchers:
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Indirect Cost Rates Protected: The bill includes a prohibition preventing the DOD from unilaterally modifying indirect cost rates for universities and nonprofits without prior consultation.
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Animal Welfare: The legislation introduces new prohibitions on conducting "painful research" on domestic cats and dogs using DOD funds.
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Biotech Restrictions: New national security provisions (often referred to as the BIOSECURE Act) prohibit use of federal funds to contract with certain "biotechnology companies of concern."
For a detailed analysis of the new security restrictions and what they mean for U.S. researchers, read the December 11 article in Science: Congress imposes new security restrictions on U.S. researchers.
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Preventing Piggybacking for Entry to Secure University Sites
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Piggybacking—when someone enters a restricted area by following closely behind an authorized individual without using their own badge—has recently been observed in several Pitt research facilities. While often unintentional and rooted in everyday politeness, piggybacking bypasses important security measures designed to protect our people, research, and laboratories.
It is important that everyone swipe into secure University sites to ensure there is an accurate record of who is present. In the event of an emergency, this information enables first responders to quickly locate and assist all individuals at the site.
Even when all individuals entering a secure location have appropriate access, everyone should still swipe in to ensure the accountability required for security purposes.
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As a reminder, except for emergency services, ORP will be closed during the upcoming University recess:
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Winter Recess | December 24, 2025 — January 2, 2026
During the Winter Recess, protocol submissions and other inquiries will not be addressed until campus reopens on January 5, 2026. If you will require our services over the recess, please contact us as soon as possible.
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Diagnostic Imaging Medical Physics Residency Program Earns Accreditation through 2028
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The Diagnostic Imaging Medical Physics Residency Program—a new collaborative effort of ORP’s Radiation Safety Office, the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology, and UPMC—has received an accreditation extension through 2028 following a successful on-site review by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). The review assessed program facilities, documentation, procedures, and feedback from faculty, staff, and residents.
The program was found to meet or exceed all accreditation standards, reflecting the team’s strong commitment to high-quality training and program excellence. This extension affirms the program’s continued success in preparing future medical physicists for their careers and ensures residents remain eligible to sit for board certification examinations.
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