February 2023 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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Annual Disclosure Certification Period Begins on March 15. Disclosure forms are due by April 15.
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The Annual Disclosure Certification period begins on March 15, 2023. Certifications are due by April 15, 2023. Supervisor reviews are due by June 15, 2023.
If you are required to complete an Annual Disclosure Certification, you will receive an email notification from MyDisclosures between March 15 and March 18. Do not complete your Annual Disclosure Certification until you receive the email notification from MyDisclosures! Certifications completed before March 15, 2023 do not satisfy the 2023 annual disclosure requirement.
Training videos for disclosers, supervisors and administrators are available here. Step-by-step instructions on how to complete disclosures, supervisor reviews and access MyDisclosures reports are available here. Guidance regarding disclosure requirements is available here.
If you have questions, please contact the University Conflict of Interest Division at mydisclosures_support@pitt.edu.
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The answer is complex and depends on funding agency requirements and the type of study. In general, the required data retention time is seven years following the end of a study. However, studies on children and some clinical trials may require longer data retention times; contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for more information.
To ensure compliance with data retention requirements, electronic data must be archived on University servers that are regularly backed up to avoid data loss, such as Microsoft OneDrive or LabArchives, a cloud-based electronic research notebook service provided by the University. Principal investigators must ensure that all individuals in their lab properly archive data on University servers.
If you leave the University, Pitt must retain your data — including lab notebooks and other original data — although you may take copies with you. The University is required to cooperate in inquiries regarding studies conducted at the institution, including those performed by individuals who have left. Thus, all data must be properly archived so they can be easily retrieved on request.
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Investigators who use animal models in their research program are reminded that postsurgical analgesic treatments must strictly comply with plans stipulated in protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). In addition, analgesic treatments and other procedures performed on rodents must be properly documented on blue procedure cards placed on an animal's cage.
To aid investigators in complying with these important requirements, ORP's Animal Research Protection Division produced a short video and fact sheet regarding the documentation of post-surgical analgesic treatments of rodents. All investigators who perform surgical procedures on rodents are encouraged to make use of these
resources.
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Closing down research studies requires advance planning. If you will be leaving the University in the coming months, please complete the online Checklist for Investigators Leaving the University as far in advance as possible.
Completion of this form will alert the relevant University offices, which will be in contact to ensure that your research at the University is terminated appropriately. In addition to completing this form, the departing investigator must notify their primary department administrator well in advance of their departure.
A downloadable version of the checklist is also available.
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Pitt's Radiation Safety Office (RSO) administers the radiation safety program, which ensures compliance with regulations regarding the use of radiation-emitting materials and equipment.
UPMC has contracted Pitt's RSO to oversee radiation use in its academic facilities (Presbyterian, Montefiore, Shadyside, Magee, and Children’s Hospitals, their affiliated units, and the Hillman Cancer Center).
Radiation incidents in these UPMC facilities must be promptly reported to Pitt's RSO, as described on this webpage.
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ORP Division Spotlight
The Office of Trade Compliance (OTC) performs a wide range of functions, including:
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Overseeing the University’s export controls management plan,
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Managing the academic visitor process,
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Providing biological import guidance, and
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Guiding research security.
OTC’s export controls guidance covers the topics of international travel, shipments, purchasing, remote research activities, controlled unclassified information, interactions with restricted parties, and engagements with entities and individuals from highly sanctioned countries or regions.
The Academic Visitor process was created to assist University schools and departments in hosting an individual on campus for short-term visits lasting two years or less for academic or research activities.
Guidance for biological imports includes conditions and procedures for obtaining import permits from federal agencies.
Research security on university campuses is an increasingly relevant topic, centering on the protection of the country’s research enterprise. New federal research security requirements are expected soon, including mandatory research security training. OTC oversees and updates a website called Managing International Research and Engagement that contains up to date information on this topic.
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Contact the Reliance Team if You are Planning a Multi-Site Human Subject Study
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An NIH policy effective since 2018 requires a single IRB to be responsible for the ethical review of non-exempt human subject research at all sites when multi-site studies are conducted. Other funding agencies have enacted similar requirements.
NIH allows, and even expects, investigators to budget for regulatory costs associated with multi-site human subject studies.
The Reliance Team in the Human Research Protection Division is responsible for the review of proposals for multi-site studies. If you are applying for funding for a multi-site human subject study, please contact the Reliance Team well in advance to aid with budgeting for this regulatory oversight.
This webpage provides information about the guidance and regulations regarding use of a single IRB for multi-site and cooperative research.
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Need help in ensuring that your research meets regulatory requirements and ethical standards?
Then use the ORP Support Service!
Just answer a few questions and we will put you in touch with the right professionals to help facilitate your research.
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No one organization brings together all the essential players to make real change possible like United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. They've built a strong network of community leaders, corporations, donors, philanthropists and human-service agencies, marshalling the resources and experience where they can do the most good.
Whether you're joining our Pitt Research United Way Team in one of our events or through our Pitt United Way website, please consider donating! #ChangemakersUnite
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