Monthly News & Updates

January 2023 Issue

2024 Research Community Meeting Schedule

Visit our Website

Please visit the HRPP Website to watch the January 17, 2024 Research Community Meeting and past meetings.

The next Research Community Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM ET.

Unaffiliated Investigator Process

UI Agreement

UI Checklist

Unaffiliated Investigators

The Office of Research may permit individuals who otherwise lack a formal affiliation with Baystate Health, Inc., including its affiliates to participate in research activities conducted at or under the auspices of BH subject to the terms of Unaffiliated Investigator Policy. The process has recently been reviewed and updated. All documents related to this process are on our website and in IRBNet.

Website

Unaffiliated Investigator Information Sheet

2024 IRB Meeting Schedule and Deadlines

IRB Staff assign new applications for IRB review by either a convened or an expedited review process. New applications that require convened review are scheduled based on agenda workload and the availability of appropriate expertise; therefore, a deadline for submission has been provided in the document via the link below.

Continuing review applications that require convened review are scheduled based on the next available meeting date for the board the project sits on and availability of appropriate expertise; therefore, a deadline for submission has been provided via the link below.

IRB Meeting Dates and Deadlines

Reminders and Updates from the IRB Office

Managing Training and Credentials in IRBNet

By February 1, 2024, all study team members will be required to have their CV's and CITI training linked to their IRBNet User Profile. Please reach out to HRPP and IRB Staff if you need assistance.

(Only Baystate Health CITI Training will be accepted. CV's should be signed, dated and under three years old.)

Linking CV's and CITI Training in IRBNet

THANK YOU!

Understanding Health Literacy in the Context of Clinical Research

By AnneMarie Mal, M.Div., IRB Analyst

Health literacy, within the realm of clinical research, involves the ability of individuals to comprehend and use information related to medical research studies and trials. It plays a pivotal role in ensuring that participants in clinical research studies can make informed decisions about their involvement.

Click here for the article

IRB Community Members Needed

Voluntary service as an IRB member is a great opportunity to help improve the research enterprise, deepen personal knowledge on human research, and may create future professional opportunities. If you know someone in the community that would be interested in serving on the IRB, please have them contact the IRB office at irbprotocolsubmissions@baystatehealth.org.

A Look Back at Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in 2023

The following commentary on DE&I is by Rachel Rangel, clinical trial specialist at Curavit Clinical Research and was part of the CenterWatch Monthly.

Click here for the full article

Black Lives Matter in Research

The 4th Annual Virtual Symposium: Transforming the Health Research Landscape for Justice and Equity

The Montclair State University Institutional Review Board held a virtual symposium in November 2023 on Transforming the Health Research Landscape for Justice and Equity. The link to the presentations is below.

Presentations Link

How Do I Review Thee? Let Me Count the Ways: The Types and Manners of IRB Review

This OHRP presentation covered the different types and manners of IRB review, including full board, limited review, expedited review, as well as various lifecycle actions like initial review, review of amendments, and continuing review applications.

Click here to view the video

Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation

OHRP’s Human Research Protection Foundational Training now available in Spanish!

OHRP offers a 5-lesson comprehensive training on human research protections based on the requirements of the revised Common Rule. The training provides a foundational understanding of the ethical considerations and U.S. federal regulatory framework for protecting participants involved in federally funded research.

This resource is now available in Spanish!

Click here to access the Spanish transcripts

Recipe of the Month

Butternut Squash Soup in the Crockpot

(provided by Linnea Rademaker)

To warm you up this winter.

Link to the recipe

Winter Humor

Q. What did the wool hat say to the scarf?

A. You hang around while I go on ahead.

Q. What did one snowflake say to the other?

A. “You’re one of a kind!”

Q. What does a Starbucks employee’s job title

to in winter?

A. A brrrr-ista!

Q. How did the snow globe feel after hearing a

scary story?

A. A bit shook up.

The Innovator

Check out the Summer/Fall 2023 edition of the The Innovator, produced by the Office of Research.

Click here for The Innovator

Email Michael Boland at michael.boland@baystatehealth.org if you have something that you would like included in a future newsletter.