In recent years, human subjects research has come under increasing scrutiny. This has resulted in demands for enhanced protection of research subjects and increased oversight of human research. Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards and compliance with federal regulation for the protection of human research subjects. To meet this commitment, the WFUHS Institutional Review Board (IRB) has begun working with other area academic and medical institutions to develop joint IRB and educational activities. Development and expansion of coordinated IRB activities helps ensure the safety, rights and welfare of research subjects while decreasing the overall impact on institutional resources. We propose the following aims to further strengthen the protection of human research subjects and to develop coordinated educational and IRB activities with other local institutions: (1) Expand the implementation of systems for the electronic submission, review and tracking of research protocols (technology development) to support coordination of IRB activities with the Salisbury Veterans Administration Medical Center and other area academic and medical institutions (2) Develop new educational programs that focus on current topics related to the protection of research subjects and promote the availability of these programs to area investigators, administrators and IRB members. This proposal will strengthen the protection of human subjects by means that will be sustained by the institution after the award.
