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Catch the latest news, tips and advice that supports you and
 Florida Atlantic University in building a culture of research compliance.
The Beacon End-of-Year Holidays Edition.

We’ve almost made it through the Fall semester of 2020! With just a few weeks remaining in the semester we’re here to assist you with your research.

As a reminder the Research Integrity (RI) office is still working remotely and the best way to get the information you need is by
·      Visiting our website
·      Contacting us by email
·      Meeting with us via Microsoft Teams, Zoom or WebEx
Research Continues at FAU

Though the pandemic has in some cases changed how we do research, research has been ongoing at FAU. If you are interested in becoming engaged with research, there are still ways to do so safely and effectively. Click the button to view our FAQ’s on conducting your research.
IACUC: In-person, hands-on training have resumed on an as-needed basis in adherence to FAU, state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines. Requests for hands-on trainings and facilities orientations must come from the principal investigator who should contact the IACUC office, Kristen Ware or Dana Mulvaney, with appropriate justification for the requests to be reviewed and approved as appropriate.

·      IRB: To keep your human research study active (even if COVID safety considerations have required you to pause in-person contact) it is important you still submit a Continuing Review form and all related documents (flyers, consent, etc.) before your expiration date. You may be able to convert your in-person research to remote methods to continue allowable data collection by submitting an Amendment form, along with a revised protocol, as well as consent forms and flyers as appropriate. Note: the consent paragraph template is highly recommended.

·      IBC: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) has required that all research projects that involve inactivated Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) CoV-2 virus, or that require contact with research subjects in a way that may increase the chance of exposure to the virus, be brought to the committee for full review. Note that projects involving isolation, amplification or propagation of SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot be supported by the Institution at this time as those projects require Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) precautions which FAU is not currently equipped to provide.
Animal Care And Use Committee (IACUC) Updates

All-Hands Meeting
RI will host a virtual all-hands meeting from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 15, for FAU researchers using animal models in research, teaching or testing activities. The meeting will include end of year updates from the IACUC chair, IACUC office and Comparative Medicine. More information will be forthcoming.
 
Semi-annual Inspections
The Fall 2020 semi-annual facility inspections have concluded. Thank you to those who participated in the inspections. 
 
Submitting IACUC Personnel Amendments
When submitting amendments to add personnel to approved IACUC protocols, please state what each individual's role in the study will be. The information can be included under the description of change section in the amendment form. 
 
Tips for Troubleshooting IACUC Forms
Please ensure that the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is installed on your computer. The forms also work best when using Internet Explorer. If you are still experiencing issues or prefer using Google Chrome or Firefox to access the forms, then please refer to the troubleshooting instructions in the forms section of the IACUC website, please click here. 
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Form Updates

We are currently looking into a couple of ways to automate the IBC forms to facilitate the user experience with filling these out. We appreciate your patience as we work through options. In the interim we have made the following content changes to the respective forms:

  • The IBC Registration Application Form now has a signature line for the department chair, and that signature is now a requirement for all new projects and renewals.

  • The IBC Biological Materials Amendment Form now has a procedures section so that procedures can be added, removed or changed without altering the biohazards used in the project

  • The IBC Administrative Amendment Form now has a table for changing funding sources to make it easier for a single IBC registration to cover the IBC compliance for multiple grants.
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Workshops Spring 2021

Research Integrity has been in discussions with the Graduate College and Max Planck Florida Institute (MPFI) regarding collaborating to offer RCR workshops in Spring 2021. MPFI is hosting the initial RCR workshop series collaborating with FAU instructors and offering the workshops, virtually, to FAU participants. The Graduate College and Research Integrity will partner to continue these workshops in Fall 2021. The for-credit undergraduate and graduate courses in RCR are still being offered through the FAU College of Education. Stay tuned for more information or you can always reach out to us at researchintegrity@fau.edu if you have questions.
Training Calendar & Office Hours

Monthly training is available for researchers working with human or animal subjects. Check out the training calendars to register now. We invite you to set an appointment for IRB or IACUC related questions – even before submitting your protocol – by contacting researchintegrity@fau.edu.
IRB Virtual
Training Workshop & Education

We recommend human subject researchers attend the IRB 101 workshop to gain familiarity with the IRBNet submission portal as well as the steps and documents needed to complete a submission. Register by clicking the IRB Training calendar icon.

“IRB Education Course” on Canvas is a learning community which serves as a virtual assistance and training platform, allowing you to get answers you need any time, from any device, and to connect with Human Research Protections Program staff or other researchers.
IACUC Virtual
Training Workshop

The required “Ethical Use of Animals, IACUC Function and the 3R's” workshop is available in virtual format. Click the IACUC training calendar icon to register for an upcoming training date.

Contact Dana Mulvaney for ethics training workshops cancellations. Notifications must be submitted at least 24 hours before training.
The Office of Environmental Health
and Safety (EHS) Update for Researchers
The Office of Environmental Health & Safety will be launching a new Software Platform called Bioraft. Bioraft is a new software platform at FAU for the management of a host of Environmental Safety and Health Programs. We are putting the final touches on the system now and will conduct a soft rollout of the platform and modules in December to an evaluation group. 
Here are just a few things Bioraft can help you do:

Lookup a Safety Data Sheet

  • Management of hazardous waste pickups

  • Manage chemical inventories

  • Easily create and change hazard signage for lab doors

  • Manage authorized personnel in labs

  • Manage your findings from EHS Lab Inspections

  • Manage your radiation safety program in the lab

  • Apply for and renew medical monitoring for animal research

And much more! Stay tuned!

Check Out the Beacon Online
The archived editions of The Beacon can be found online here. 
Please share with colleagues or use as references to our tips and hints!
If you have any questions, please contact us at researchintegrity@fau.edu or Elisa Gaucher.