The HSCL Coordinator reports to the Human Subjects Committee board, the HSCL Chair, and reports decisions of the HSCL to the Director of Research Integrity.
HSCL is responsible for ensuring constructive communication among the research administrators, department heads, research investigators, clinical care staff, human subjects, and institutional officials as a means of maintaining a high level of awareness regarding the safeguarding of the rights and welfare of the subjects.
HSCL will review all research (whether exempt or not) and decide whether the institution will permit the research. If approved by the HSCL, but not permitted by the institution, the institution will promptly convey notice to the investigator and the HSCL Chair. Neither the institution nor any other office of the institution may approve a research activity that involves human participants.
HSCL meets as needed with department chairpersons to update them on developments in policy regarding human subjects research.
Institutional officials within the KU Center for Research (KUCR) have read-only access to HSCL's database of human subjects research projects. Also, institutional officials occasionally contact the Coordinator to ask if a specific project has approval or if an investigator has applied to the Human
Subjects Committee for approval.
Training includes class presentations, an informational video (PROTECTING HUMAN SUBJECTS (produced by OHRP and made freely available to the research community by HSCL), and faculty staff meetings and presentations. HSCL also has received permission to obtain and distribute a CD titled "Research 101," which serves to educate researchers, administrators, and other interested parties about various aspects of human subjects research and how they are affected by the federal regulations under 45 CFR 46 Protection of Human Subjects. HSCL activities that are not training but serve the research community include policy interpretation and providing assistance to researchers with application preparation. The Coordinator also speaks to various classes on the Lawrence campus and the Edwards campus (south Kansas City).
Effective October 1, 2000, HSCL implemented an online tutorial which may be accessed at (http://www.research.ku.edu/tutor/hsp/index.shtml) in order to comply with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) training requirement for all investigators conducting research that involves human participants who are submitting applications for NIH funding of their projects. In order to be consistent with its requirements for approving projects involving human subjects and in order to maximize research participants' safety, rights, and privacy, HSCL requires that all persons conducting research involving human research participants take an online tutorial derived from the NIH tutorial developed for its staff. NIH kindly allowed other institutions to use its tutorial and modify it for appropriateness.
HSCL decisions and requirements for modifications will be promptly conveyed to investigators. Written notification of decisions will be accompanied by reasons for the decision with provision of an opportunity for reply by the investigator, in person or in writing.
Researchers at this institution do collaborate with researchers at other institutions. In such cases HSCL does require the researchers at this institution to submit an application for review by HSCL. HSCL may accept use of another institution's approved protocol and/or consent form if they meet HSCL's requirements for approval.
Institutions that are not direct signatories to this Assurance are not authorized to cite this Assurance. This institution will ensure that such other institutions and investigators not bound by the provisions of this Assurance for DHHS-sponsored research will satisfactorily assure compliance with 45 CFR 46, as required, as a prior condition for involvement in human subject research which is under the auspices of this institution.
Institutions that have entered into an Inter-Institutional Amendment (IIA) to this Assurance must submit a Federalwide Assurance (FWA) to the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) of DHHS for DHHS-sponsored research, on request, when that research is not conducted under the auspices of a signatory institution to this Assurance.
HSCL does agree to be the IRB of record for organizations separate from KU when those organizations have an approved Federalwide Assurance (FWA) from the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) and have entered into a contractual agreement with HSCL.
Certification of HSCL review and approval for all federally-sponsored research involving human subjects is kept on file and submitted to the Office of Contract Negotiation, and Research Compliance for forwarding to the appropriate federal department or agency as needed. Compliance will occur within the time and in the manner prescribed for forwarding certifications of HSCL review to DHHS or other federal departments or agencies to which this Assurance applies.
As required under Section 119, the HSCL will review and recommend approval for involvement of human subjects in federal research activities for which there was no prior intent for such involvement, but will not permit such involvement until certification of the HSCL's review and approval is received by the appropriate federal department or agency.
HSCL has developed a form to document the certification process, a sample of which appears in Appendix I, HSCL DOCUMENTS.
Questions? Please contact:
David Hann
785-864-7429 | dhann@ku.edu
Coordinator | Human Subjects Committee of
Lawrence (HSCL)
— or —
Mary Denning
785-864-7385 | mdenning@ku.edu
Associate Coordinator |Human Subjects Committee of
Lawrence (HSCL)
