In our last funded grant application (Grant #: 1S07RR018223-01) entitled """"""""Improving IRB Tracking and Educating Investigators"""""""", we had requested support for three very specific objectives: to improve and migrate our existing human subject research database to a more robust R:Base program; to create a University Community-based Regulatory and Ethics Research Forum serving as an educational resource for investigators, coordinators, and administrators; and, to acquire and establish a dedicated server to house the updated R:Base database as well as to serve as a secure and encrypted site for on-line activities related to the proper conduct of human subject research in this institution. We have made considerable progress in these previously proposed specific aims and have delineated our accomplishments hitherto in the grant application under section """"""""Progress Report"""""""". In addition to bringing to fruition our previously initiated projects, in the present grant application, we are proposing to improve and develop educational initiatives for the safe and ethical conduct of clinical research at our institution and to extend it to the Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), Pittsburgh, PA. AGH has not been funded under the Human Subject Research Enhancements Program and would therefore meet the essential requirement of this RFA. In particular we are proposing three specific aims: 1: To extend further the availability of R:Base database by developing a web-based interface. 2: Improve and develop new educational tools for investigators, clinical research coordinators, administrators, and members of the IRB for the proper and ethical conduct of human subject research. 3: To extend these educational initiatives to the clinical investigators, coordinators, administrators, and members of the IRB at our partner institution - AGH in Pittsburgh, PA. Most of the educational material will be made available by video conference requiring establishment of such facility at AGH. tt is our contention that these proposed enhancements in database and educational initiatives would greatly facilitate our continuing endeavor to further improve the quality of human subject research conducted at both institutions. It would also compliment our enduring efforts to ensure safe and ethical conduct of human subject research in both institutions.
