VCU Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Blog

The VCU HRPP is dedicated to facilitating ethically and scientifically sound research through robust review of research projects and through effective education and outreach to the VCU research community.

The January 30th RAMS-IRB Patch included a lot of changes; we want to call attention to one that’s easy to miss!
 
Sometimes VCU faculty and staff engage in research or other professional activities that don’t need IRB review.  Sometimes when trying to publish results, publishers will request proof that the activity didn’t need IRB review.  We’ve made some changes to help out.
 
The January patch introduced a new function that allows PIs to submit to the IRB for a determination of “not human subjects research” (NHSR).  The new function is meant to supplement guidance maintained on the ORSP website (“Activities Requiring IRB Review“) and give PIs a pathway to obtain official determination and documentation of NSHR status from the IRB.
Screenshot of the RAMS-IRB Smartform, question #7 on the Study Identification page.
Screenshot of the RAMS-IRB Smartform, question #7 on the Study Identification page.

If you think your activity isn’t research, or doesn’t involve human subjects, and you think you might need documentation from the IRB, check out the attached slides to learn how to use the new submission.

Slides: Requesting NHSR Determination

Categories Announcements and Updates