Research Coordination Committee

The HCRF is home to numerous clinical trials conducted independently by resident and non-resident PI’s and/or on behalf of faculty and sponsors on a fee for service basis through our Human Clinical Core.  Because the HCRF is a shared facility, it is important to keep PI’s conducting research in the HCRF aware of the status of proposals and IRB approved studies that may impact on equipment and/or facility availability.  For this reason, we developed a Research Coordination Committee that meets typically two times a year as well as shared calendars of commonly shared labs and facilities so PI’s and their staff’s know what studies are being done and when resources are needed to be used.  The following describes the purpose and scope of this committee.

Purpose and Scope
The Research Review Committee (RRC) is chaired by Mick Deutz, MD, PhD who serves as Director of CTRAL.  Members include all resident Principal Investigators (PI) who conduct research studies in the HCRB and the Associate Dean of Research for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Staff based in the HCRF can participate in the work of the RRC, but are not voting members. Initially, the RRC Chair reviews the IRB-accepted proposal that is intended to be performed in the HCRF and forwards it to the RRC for a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to conduct the study in the HCRF; suggestions for improving the current or similar protocols in the future, if any; and, potential impact on on-going protocols.

There will be a discussion on every proposal in a timely manner and every proposal will be voted upon. A ⅔ majority of the RRC is needed for all decisions about the proposed studies to be performed in the HCRF. Outcomes are 1) approval of the protocol; 2) recommend that it’s more appropriate to conduct the study elsewhere on campus (with documentation of reasons); or, 3) provisional approval with recommended amendments, with prompt re-evaluation by the RRC.

If the study is not approved or amendments are suggested, the PI will have an opportunity to address concerns raised for reconsideration. The goal is to share with one another what studies they are working on in an effort to continually work toward improvement in the quality of studies conducted in the HCRF.