Research Compliance News
Reminder: NIH Definition of Foreign Components and Impacts of Co-Authorship
This notice reminds the extramural community of NIH's longstanding definition of foreign components. As outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, a foreign component is: The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed... More
Research Security Training: Annual CITI Update Due
TO: Boston University Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Associates FROM: Office of Research and Research Security DATE: May 19, 2026 SUBJECT: Research Security Training: Annual CITI Update Due Last spring, the Office of Research notified the BU research community of new requirements for research security training (RST). Federal agencies have since determined that RST must be completed annually. This... More
Global Reliance Agreements Established Between CRC, BMC, and BUMC
Boston University’s IRBs have put in place global reliance agreements to streamline multisite collaboration across the Charles River Campus (CRC), Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC). These agreements: Automatically apply to qualifying minimal‑risk collaborative research Simplify and standardize the reliance process for faculty and staff working... More
New Streamlined Process for CRC Student Collaboration on BMC/BUMC Human Subjects Research
Boston University's Institutional Review Boards (IRB) announce a new, streamlined process for Charles River Campus (CRC) students collaborating on human subjects research at Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) and/or Boston Medical Center (BMC). What's Changed Previously, each research study involving CRC students collaborating on a BMC/BUMC study required a reliance agreement between... More
Research Security Federal Research Policy Updates: Key Changes You Need to Know for NIH and NSF
Federal agencies have released several notices impacting research security and administrative requirements for proposals and awards. These updates align with the NSPM-33 directive and CHIPS Act to protect U.S. research and reduce administrative burden and strengthen compliance across federally funded research. Below is a summary of the latest notices from... More
Closure of Mouse Assisted Reproductive Technologies (MART) Core
Due to availability of comparable commercial alternatives and low utilization, the Mouse Assisted Reproductive Technologies (MART) Core will be closing at the end of 2025 on December 19, prior to intersession. The Animal Science Center (ASC) will continue to assist in neonatal rederivations or caesarean rederivations, as needed, to meet health status... More
Institutional Biosafety Committee Public Meeting 2025
Pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Boston Public Health Commissions Biological Laboratory Regulations, the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of Boston University (BU) will hold its annual public meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from noon – 2 PM. The meeting will be held online (via Zoom) and may also be joined... More
Memo: Action Required for BU Researchers and Research Staff
TO: Boston University Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students FROM: Tom Bifano, Vice President and Associate Provost ad interim for Research DATE: June 12, 2025 SUBJECT: Action Required for BU Researchers and Research Staff As part of Boston University's compliance with federal research security requirements, all covered individuals involved in sponsored research – including federal, non-federal, and industry-sponsored projects –... More
Memo: Lab Animal Per Diem Rate Changes
TO: Boston University Deans, Department Chairs, Principal Investigators, Department Administrators, and Grant Administrators FROM: Thomas Bifano, Vice President and Associate Provost ad interim for Research Karen Antman, Medical Campus Provost and Dean, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine DATE: May 29, 2025 SUBJECT: Lab Animal Per Diem Rate Changes Boston University is committed to efficiently managing its animal care... More
Memo: Enhancing Participant Privacy and Confidentiality
TO: Boston University Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students FROM: The Charles River Campus Institutional Review Board DATE: May 6, 2025 SUBJECT: Enhancing Participant Privacy and Confidentiality Recent federal actions and proposals have raised new concerns about privacy among Boston University researchers and research participants. During this time of transition, the BU Charles River Campus Institutional Review Board (IRB)... More