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Announcement: New Translated Consent Templates Available from BMC / BU Medical Campus IRB

The Boston Medical Center (BMC) / Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) is pleased to announce the release of newly translated Spanish versions of the Adult Consent Form template and the Exempt Information Sheet template. These translations are intended to streamline the consent development process for studies that seek to include Spanish-speaking participants. With all standard template language and HIPAA authorization language now available in Spanish, research teams only need to translate their study-specific content, reducing preparation time and translation costs. This initiative is designed to support more inclusive participant recruitment by helping to ensure BMC/BUMC research better represents the communities we serve, and by enhancing the generalizability of study findings.

The updated templates are now available on the IRB website for use in your study submissions.

Please join us in thanking our expert translators whose collaborative efforts made these Spanish consent templates possible:

Vanessa Torres-Lacarra, BA, IRB Analyst

Erika Cordova Ramos, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine

Carolyn Swain, MPH, CIP, Senior IRB Analyst

Khaled Khattar, BBA, IRB Application Administrator and Website Editor

For questions or further assistance using these templates, please contact the IRB Office at medirb@bu.edu.

 

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Export Compliance Starts with You: Quick Guide to BMC’s Export Control Policies

As a researcher at an academic medical center like BMC, your work pushes the boundaries of science and improves human health. But if your research involves certain technologies, data, or materials—especially when collaborating internationally—then you may be working within the scope of U.S. export control regulations.

Export controls are U.S. federal laws and regulations that restrict the transfer of certain information, technologies, and materials to foreign countries and foreign nationals—whether abroad or within the United States. BMC faculty and staff conduct daily research activities that may trigger export control laws such as collaborating with foreign nationals, traveling and presenting research abroad, shipping biological samples or other items internationally, or transferring research results or funds to a foreign subrecipient.

BMC Research Compliance now has a tipsheet available to provide guidance on Export Controls and can be reviewed here.

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Join the BMCHS Innovation Community

The following announcement is for the Boston Medical Center Health System (BMCHS) Research Community:

The Innovation Office is piloting a virtual community on MS Teams to connect and support BMCHS colleagues across the health system who share an interest in innovation.  Please see this flyer for further information.

On our MS Teams site, BMCHS employees will be able to: 

  • Ask innovation questions – and get answers from the Innovation Office team 
  • Access a resource library that we are actively building with digital tools and templates to help employees on their innovation journey 
  • Be the first to hear any news coming out of the Innovation Office 
  • Build community with others interested in shaping the future of our Innovation culture at BMCHS

 

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Zoom Replacing IRB Office Drop-In Hours

Due to the increased shift to using remote meeting technology, the IRB is discontinuing its once-a-week in-person drop-in office hours in order to expand its availability and service through Zoom meetings.  Please contact the IRB by email at medirb@bu.edu to request a Zoom meeting with an IRB representative, and provide these details so that the IRB can pre-assess your needs:  type of research study (and INSPIR study # if available); your questions; and your availability dates and times.

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