Human Subjects Research Draft Rules Released
BU IN DC
Kate Mellouk of Research Compliance and Kaci Foster of the Office of Sponsored Programs attended a Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting from September 2 through 4.
Ha Jin of the College of Arts & Sciences spoke at the National Book Festival on September 5.
HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH DRAFT RULES RELEASED
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its long-awaited proposal to update regulations governing the use of human subjects in medical research, known as the Common Rule, this week. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is designed to reflect advances in research since the rule was last revised more than two decades ago. HHS has proposed tightening consent requirements for using donated biomedical specimens in projects that are unrelated to the original research, simplifying research participants’ consent forms, and streamlining the ethical review process for studies that involve multiple institutions. The proposal would also offer limited exemptions for social science research that poses little risk of harm to human subjects. HHS will be soliciting public feedback on the proposal through December 7.
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RETIRING CHAIR HOLDS CAMPUS ASSAULT HEARING
House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) announced last week that he will retire from Congress at the end of 2016. He has served in Congress since 2002, and has led the Committee since 2011. Chairman Kline plans an ambitious education agenda prior to his retirement, and on Thursday the Committee held a hearing to discuss strategies to prevent campus sexual assault. Witnesses were largely in agreement on the value of having on-campus confidential advisers and thorough training for students and staff, and expressed concern that mandated reporting to law enforcement may be counterproductive.
Watch the hearing
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health program has announced two new grant competitions. The annually-competed Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Research Program supports investigator-initiated applied research that can improve health care services and delivery, and promote the well-being of maternal and child populations. The second solicitation supports research that “exclusively utilizes secondary analysis of existing national databases and/or administrative records.” A technical assistance call on both opportunities will be held on September 17.