Article by:

Sola Odesina, MA

Education and Compliance Specialist

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)

• Keeping PI Information Up to Date in Florence and OnCore
• When a Principal Investigator (PI) changes or is removed from a study, both Florence and OnCore must be updated to reflect the current PI.
• Florence: Contact Deb Leclerc or Luis Rosa to update the folder name, which includes the PI’s name and the IRBNet number.
• OnCore: Updating the PI information is the responsibility of the research staff. Please ensure the study record reflects the current PI.

Important reminder: PI information in both Florence and OnCore should align with the current IRB approval.

• Extended Session Timeout in PROD
• The session timeout in the production (PROD) environment has been extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, aligning with CIS.

Have questions or need assistance? Please contact HumanResearch@baystatehealth.org. We’re happy to help! 

On October 22, OnCore was upgraded with a release that included bug fixes, improved system performance, and several user interface enhancements.

If you encounter any problems or have questions after the upgrade, please reach out to Deb Leclerc or Luis Rosa, Clinical Research Systems Specialists, at clinicaltrialsadm@baystatehealth.org.

At our last Research Community Meeting, Dr. Tashanna Myers and Laura Sorci presented on The Trial-Ready Clinician: Integrating Research into Standard Patient Care - The Experience of Gynecologic Oncology.

The learning objectives accomplished in this presentation were as follows: described the operations of clinical trial management of Gynecologic Oncology at Baystate Health; described tools to integrate research into a busy clinical practice; and reviewed key research leadership strategies.

Article by: 

Susan Garrow-Sloan, RN, BSN, CCRP

HRPP Education and Compliance Specialist

The COI disclosure form has been updated in both IRBNet and Florence to appear as a PDF fillable form. The IRBNet fillable form will require the research staff member to select the appropriate responses, and to add their first and last name in the text field at the end of the form. IN IRBNet, the form can be found in the Forms and Templates Library. In Florence, the COI will be located in the Office of Research Binder, Fillable Forms Folder. Utilization of the COI form in Florence will streamline the process by allowing electronic signature and placement in the appropriate study folder. Please reference the link for a quick tutorial Completing a Conflict-of-Interest Agreement in Florence. The fillable form is available in both the UAT (practice) as well as production environments. The IRB will begin requiring this form January 1, 2027, for any submitted COI disclosure. Any submissions submitted prior to that date will be processed regardless of the old or new version to accommodate submissions currently in process. 

Article by: 

Lauryn Esposito, CIP

IRB Reliance Analyst

We have made some updates to the following Single IRB worksheets:

• IRB Staff Study Team Completeness Worksheet – External IRB
• IRB Staff Study Team Completeness Worksheet – Baystate IRB of Record 

These revisions incorporate recent feedback and provide additional clarification on processes related to Single IRB review. Please review the updated worksheets and begin using the most current versions moving forward. The worksheets can be found in the IRBNet Forms and Templates Library. In addition, a new checklist, UMass Collaborations Checklist, has been added to the IRBNet Forms and Templates Library. This checklist is intended to assist researchers and study teams conducting collaborative research with UMass Amherst by outlining institutional requirements that may apply to studies reviewed by either the Baystate IRB or the UMass Amherst IRB where Baystate is relying on the UMass Amherst IRB for review.

We encourage research teams to review and utilize these resources effective immediately when preparing submissions involving Single IRB review or collaborations with UMass Amherst.

Article by: 

Lauryn Esposito, CIP

IRB Reliance Analyst



When conducting multisite research under the single IRB (sIRB) model, gathering local considerations is essential. SMART IRB recently released “Recommendations for the Harmonization of Local Considerations” which recommends a standardized approach to identifying and communicating local requirements. 

The IRB has published its meeting schedule and submission deadlines for new study applications and continuing reviews through January 2028. Investigators and study teams are encouraged to review the calendar and submit materials at least one week before the listed deadlines to allow time for pre-review and correction of any deficiencies.

We are seeking community members to join our Institutional Review Board (IRB). We welcome individuals from all backgrounds — both scientific and non-scientific — to bring their unique perspectives to the table.

Please email humanresearch@baystatehealth.org if you know someone in the community that may be interested in joining the IRB.