We're Always Listening...
The University of Minnesota’s IRB was established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects, and the Research Subjects' Protection Program is also dedicated to providing the best service possible for University researchers.
Please feel free to make suggestions regarding the operations of RSPP as your feedback is important and below are some examples of how your comments have influenced the operations at RSPP.
Transparent Communication Lines
The employees of RSPP are here to help researchers understand and promptly address the concerns raised by the review boards. As such the office has provided some direct lines of communications and has
- Direct Phone Numbers and Staff E-mail -- Available on each meeting letter and available on the staff qualifications web page, researchers are able to call the direct line for each employee at RSPP or contact them through e-mail.
- Committee Member Roster -- A list of members is available on the web site so researchers are able to see which departments are represented.
- Contact Us -- Please feel free to contact us at irb@umn.edu to offer suggestions or provide feedback.
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Web Site Navigation
Quicklinks, located on the RSPP homepage, are designed to direct researchers to the places they visit most. After receiving feedback, these were updated to include eResearch Central, the IRB and IACUC FAQs, and the IRB and IACUC Meeting Dates & Results, saving researchers clicks and time.
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Electronic Exempt Submissions
RSPP has moved forward with technology, initially introducing electronic continuing review. Building on this foundation, the department initiated electronic review of exempt research. This effort eliminates the need to run around campus acquiring signatures and dropping off hard copies by utilizing electronic signatures. The electronic review also reduces the amount of time from submission to approval for exempt researchers. RSPP has also started accepting electronic submissions for Medical Record Chart Review (MRCR) applications and is reviewing the possibility of expanding electronic review.
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Affiliated Research Registration
An agreement allows the University of Minnesota Institutional Review Board to formally delegate research review responsibilities to the respective IRB for projects where: University faculty or staff hold joint appointments, all research subjects are recruited and seen at that facility, and funding arrangements are not managed through University of Minnesota Sponsored Projects Administration. The registration forms eliminate the duplicity of a review conducted by both review boards for researchers.
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IACUC Applications Specific for Teaching, Wildlife, and Display
Often applications designed towards research do not translate well for teaching, wildlife, and display work. As such, submissions for these types of animal work often required follow-up correspondence between the researcher and committee to clarify simple concerns inherent to each of specific type of animal work. These applications were designed to reduce those miscommunications and speed the review process.
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