CoR NEWSJune 23, 2016
To: APLU Council on Research
From: APLU CoR Staff
- National Academies to Release Part 2 of its Federal Research Regulations Report (June 29)
- NIH Communication Regarding Release of New Single IRB Policy (June 21)
- Action Requested! APLU Task Force on The New Engagement
- NSB Invites Nominations for 2017 Honorary Awards (by October 3)
- APLU Science Policy Staffing Update and Position Description
The National Academies Committee on Federal Research Regulations and Reporting Requirements: A New Framework for Research Universities in the 21st Century will release Part 2 of its report:. Optimizing the Nation’s Investment in Academic Research: A New Regulatory Framework for the 21st Century. The release will take place at 11 am Eastern on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, in room 100 of the National Academies’ Keck Center, 500 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. You can register to attend in-person here. The report will be available at nap.edu shortly afterwards.
The committee, under the leadership of Larry R. Faulkner (President Emeritus, The University of Texas at Austin) and Harriet Rabb (Vice President and General Counsel, The Rockefeller University), was tasked with conducting a study of federal regulations and reporting requirements with specific attention to those directed at research universities.
The committee’s report contains two parts. Part 1, released in September 2015, concluded that continuing expansion of federal regulations on research is diminishing the effectiveness of the U.S. research enterprise and recommended actions to reduce the regulatory burden. It also recommended the creation of a public-private Research Policy Board to streamline research policies going forward.
Part 2 includes recommendations on the regulations governing human subjects research, research with select agents and toxins, export controls, and reporting of intellectual property and technology transfer. It also discusses how the new regulatory framework proposed in Part 1 might be operationalized.
This project was a joint activity of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Science, Technology, and Law and Board on Higher Education and Workforce. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and National Institutes of Health.
The complete committee charge, roster, and additional project information may be found here.
See below for detailed communication from the NIH Office of Science Policy regarding the June 21 release of the NIH Single IRB Policy, including links to statements and additional information.
Today [June 21], in the Federal Register and the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts, the NIH published its final NIH Policy on the Use of a Single Institutional Review Board for Multi-Site Research. This policy establishes the expectation that all sites participating in multi-site studies involving nonexempt human subjects research funded by the NIH will use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to conduct the ethical review required by the Department of Health and Human Services regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects. The intent of this policy is to enhance and streamline the process of IRB review and reduce inefficiencies so that research can proceed as expeditiously as possible without compromising ethical principles and protections for human research participants.
The NIH recognizes that the sIRB policy will be a paradigm shift in IRB review. As such, the final policy will not take effect until May 25, 2017. NIH has prepared a number of resources to assist the research community in preparing for the implementation of the policy. A set of FAQs, as well as guidance on scenarios illustrating the use of direct and indirect costs for single IRB review under the policy are now available on the NIH Office of Science Policy website. Another tool available for the research community is the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) single IRB reliance platform for multi-site clinical studies: the NCATS SMART IRB Reliance Platform.
For additional perspectives on this issue, we encourage you to read a statement on the importance of the sIRB policy from NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, as well as the latest “Under the Poliscope” blog co-authored by Dr. Carrie D. Wolinetz, and Dr. Mike Lauer.
The resources and guidance above are available now on the NIH Office of Science Policy website. Additional resources will be added to the website as they become available.
If you have any questions or require further information about the single IRB policy, please contact us at SingleIRBpolicy@mail.nih.gov
Please visit /newengagement to learn more, and to complete to complete the feedback form!
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) believes it is appropriate timing for public and land-grant universities to dramatically expand efforts of engagement with partners in the communities they serve—members of the public, community organizations, business and industry, state and local government, and others. Beginning in November of 2015, APLU convened a Planning Team to recommend a process for establishing and engaging APLU members and stakeholders in a Task Force on “The New Engagement” for public higher education—establishing engagement as a force for transformational change in our communities and institutions. The Planning Team was charged with preparing a plan for the convening of the eventual Task Force and recently released “The New Engagement: Exploring the Issues Across a Spectrum—a framework for thought and action by the Task Force on The New Engagement.”
Log on to /newengagement to view a brief video, download a copy of the report, and to complete a feedback form. We are hoping to gather feedback over the summer and early fall from a wide variety of APLU member perspectives. Please encourage your colleagues to review the report and submit feedback. All feedback collected will be summarized and shared with the Task Force once it is established.
Questions can be directed to Jim Woodell, APLU Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement—jwoodell@aplu.org, 202-478-6044.
Please see the below communication from the National Science Board:
Each year, the National Science Board (NSB) pays tribute to remarkable contributions and public service in science and engineering through its Vannevar Bush and Public Service awards. NSB welcomes nominations for its 2017 honorary awards through Monday, Oct. 3, 2016.
Named after the gifted visionary and dynamic public servant who was behind the creation of the National Science Foundation (NSF), NSB’s Vannevar Bush Award honors life-long leaders who have made exceptional contributions toward the welfare of humankind and the nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy. Nomination instructions are available on the Vannevar Bush Award website and all recipients are listed on the NSB site.
NSB’s Public Service Award honors individuals and groups for substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States. These contributions may be in a wide variety of areas, including mass media, social media, education, training programs and entertainment. A complete list of recipients, as well as nomination instructions, can be found on the award website.
Leaders in the higher education, scientific society and association, congressional, federal, and private industry communities celebrate the accomplishments of NSB awardees during an awards ceremony held each May.
Watch this short NSB Honorary Awards video to learn more.
Questions? Please contact NSB Communications Director Nadine Lymn, (703) 292-2490, nlymn@nsf.gov
It is with regret that I notify you that today is my last day at APLU. It has been such a pleasure working with you and with APLU! I will move to a position at USDA next week.
The APLU Office of Research, Innovation, and STEM Policy intends to hire a new Assistant Director for Research Policy as soon as possible (position description will be posted at the APLU Jobs webpage here). Please send great candidates this way. In the interim, please direct CoR-relevant concerns to hgobstein@aplu.org and/or kredd@aplu.org.
-Genevieve
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