The Office of Responsible Research Practices (ORRP) assists Ohio State faculty, staff and students conducting human subjects research. The ORRP staff helps researchers navigate regulations governing research in a way that fosters ethical conduct, ensures compliance and minimizes administrative burden. The office makes a tremendous number of resources and services available to researchers – below is just a sampling.
Templates and sample research documents are available, including guidelines for writing a research protocol and examples of consent, assent and parental permission forms. This page also includes an investigator guide that helps you decide whether review is even required.
Buck-IRB the electronic system used for the submission and review of exempt and Institutional Review Board (IRB) research performed by Ohio State investigators. Buck-IRB streamlines the exempt and IRB submission processes for investigators.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) timeline estimates (orrp.osu.edu/irb/time-to-approval/) can assist researchers submitting studies for IRB review or exemption to plan in advance of study start dates. Estimated approval times are provided for each board and for exempt determinations, and include screening, review and response times.
Personalized consultations regarding human subjects research can be scheduled by choosing IRB from the drop-down menu on the Research Commons consultation page. Follow instructions at go.osu.edu/IRBConsult and complete the appointment details form that will appear below the calendar. In the “your notes” field, please provide a brief description of your reason for requesting a consultation. All consultations occur in the Research Commons, 3rd floor in the Eighteenth Avenue Library.
Classroom presentations are also available for either a general IRB overview or for information on specific topics. To schedule a presentation or get more information, please email Joni Barnard or call her at 614-688-3405.
Training videos are available from past EHE Office of Research workshops. The major focus of IRB1 was how to write a quality IRB protocol, highlighting red flags that can potentially slow down the entire process. Presenters described speed bumps (delays to approvals) as well as when continuing reviews and amendments are required. How to make sure that informed consent is done properly, especially with underserved populations and when waivers might be appropriate, were covered. Best practices and resources, as well as noncompliance examples and findings, were also shared. An IRB review board member shared their perspective on the review process. IRB2 focused on what to do after the protocol has been approved, including training of research team members, best practices for data management and record keeping and the auditing process and the consequences of minor to major noncompliance.
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is always a good place to start – maybe your question has already been answered. If not, contact a staff member – they are available to help.
