May 2026 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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Proofig AI Image Analysis Software and Training
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Researchers are reminded that access to the Proofig AI image analysis platform is now available. Proofig AI helps identify potential image duplication, manipulation, plagiarism and AI-generated images in scientific manuscripts and publications.
The platform can be used prior to manuscript submission to support research integrity and reduce the risk of image-related errors. Proofig AI also compares images against a growing database of published open-access papers.
Information about access to Proofig AI and training sessions offered by the Health Sciences Library is available on this page.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has implemented a new Research Security Training requirement. Effective May 25, 2026, senior and key personnel listed on new and competing NIH applications must certify completion of approved research security training within the 12 months prior to submission.
To help the Pitt research community satisfy this requirement, ORP recently launched a streamlined Research Security Refresher Course. Developed in response to community feedback, the streamlined module satisfies federal training expectations while being directly relevant to the day-to-day work of Pitt researchers.
This course also satisfies research security training requirements of other federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The course includes downloadable training materials and validation of completion through the CITI platform.
See this page for more information about course access.
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Federal funding agencies require the University to certify that certain trainings have been completed before a proposal may be submitted. To ensure your training records are recognized at the time of submission, your CITI Program profile must be matched to your University account.
If your completed CITI training is not appearing correctly in MyFunding or ORP systems such as Pitt-Pro and ARO, this is most often caused by a CITI profile that has not been linked to your Pitt account or the presence of duplicate CITI accounts.
To troubleshoot, please verify the following:
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Your CITI profile is associated with your official Pitt email address and credentials
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You do not have more than one CITI account
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Your CITI profile has been updated in accordance with this guidance
Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for training records to reflect in MyFunding or ORP systems after your profile has been correctly linked.
If your training still does not appear after completing these steps, contact ORP_Support@pitt.edu or peristeam@pitt.edu for assistance.
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Federal Funding Agencies Must Prospectively Approve Foreign Components
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Federal funding agencies require that all significant elements of a sponsored research project conducted outside the United States be prospectively disclosed and approved by the agency. This requirement applies whether or not federal funds are expended on the foreign activity.
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A foreign component is defined as “the performance of any significant element or segment of the project outside the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended.”
On May 27, NIH released this notice about foreign components in research funded by the agency.
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Examples of Activities That May Constitute a Foreign Component
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Collaborations with investigators at a foreign site that are anticipated to result in co-authorship |
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Use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site for purposes integral to the project, whether or not federal funds are expended |
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Involvement of human subjects or vertebrate animals at a foreign site |
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Extensive foreign travel by project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, or similar activities |
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Receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity in support of the project |
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Remote and Hybrid Work: An investigator or team member who performs work on a federally funded project from a foreign location — even without collaborating with anyone at that site — may also meet the definition of a foreign component. |
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Investigators must obtain sponsor approval before initiating a foreign component. Approval may be obtained in one of two ways:
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At the time of proposal submission: Describe the foreign component in the original application. |
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Post-award, if added after an award is made: Submit a prior-approval request to the sponsoring agency before the activity begins through the Office of Sponsored Programs. The foreign work may not be initiated prior to funding agency approval. |
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Consequences of Non-Disclosure
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Failure to disclose a foreign component constitutes a serious compliance violation. Consequences may include suspension or termination of the award, recovery of expended funds, debarment of the investigator from future federal funding, and other enforcement actions as determined by the sponsoring agency.
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The University of Pittsburgh Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) has updated its fee schedule and billing guidance to reflect new charges for industry-sponsored studies that require review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) or Radiation Safety Human Use Subcommittee (HUSC).
These updated fees take effect July 1, 2026, and the changes apply specifically to industry-sponsored clinical trials involving novel uses of radiation or gene therapies.
The revised webpage provides comprehensive guidance on all current fees, billing procedures, and payment expectations across a range of research review scenarios, including:
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Industry-sponsored trials
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Studies ceded to a commercial IRB, regardless of funding source
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Multi-site studies in which Pitt serves as the single IRB (sIRB)
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Clinical trials requiring IBC review
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Clinical trials requiring HUSC review
The pages also address continuing review fees, study-wide amendments, administrative fees, invoicing procedures, and limited fee waiver requests.
Research teams are encouraged to review the updated guidance before submitting new studies for review.
Questions regarding fees or billing procedures may be directed to the ORP Director of Administrative Support at sak168@pitt.edu.
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Leaving the University This Summer?
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If you are retiring or transitioning to another institution, it is important to properly close out your laboratory and research activities to avoid regulatory complications. We’re here to help make that process as smooth as possible.
Please start by reviewing the Checklist for Investigators Leaving the University.
In addition, all departing faculty members must complete an online notification form as far in advance of their departure date as possible. Submitting this form will alert the relevant University offices, who will follow up to ensure research activities are concluded appropriately.
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Annual Disclosures were due by April 15th. University employees who are required to disclose receive weekly email reminders from MyDisclosures with links to their Disclosures. If you are required to disclose but have not yet done so, please complete your Disclosure as soon as possible. Supervisors must complete reviews of disclosures by June 15.
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To review your disclosure requirements, MyDisclosures training videos and step-by-step instructions or guidance for supervisors, visit this webpage.
As a general reminder, investigators in University research must also disclose their financial interests in related MyRA, ARO and PittPro submissions. Following are two examples:
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An investigator consults for a company and conducts University research sponsored by that company. The investigator must indicate a financial interest when the sponsored research agreement is initiated in MyRA.
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An investigator creates a start-up company and conducts University animal research that will evaluate technology the start-up company has optioned from the University. The investigator must indicate a financial interest in the IACUC protocol.
If you have questions, please contact the Office of Research Protections’ Conflict of Interest Division at mydisclosures_support@pitt.edu.
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Upcoming Educational & Training Opportunities
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Consider signing up for these training opportunities offered by the Office of Research Protections and our partners:
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