ORO Publications and Guidance
ORO Publications
VHA Directive 1058: Responsibilities of the Office of Research Oversight (Mar 2017)
VHA Handbook 1058.01: Research Compliance Reporting Requirements (Jun 2015)
Summary of Requirements for Reporting Research Incidents
Examples of Apparently Serious or Apparently Continuing Noncompliance in VA Human Research
Examples of Apparently Serious Problems in VA Research Information Security
Decision Chart for Reporting SAEs and Problems Involving Risk in Research
PowerPoint Presentation from July 14 & 16, 2015
VHA Handbook 1058.02: Research Misconduct (Feb 2014)
PowerPoint Presentation from March 13, 2014
VHA Handbook 1058.03: Assurance of Protection for Human Subjects in Research (Nov 2014)
VHA Handbook 1058.04: Debarments and Suspensions Based on Research Impropriety in VA Research (April 2013)
VHA Handbook 1058.05: VHA Operations Activities That May Constitute Research (Oct 2011)
PowerPoint Presentation
Sample Format for Documentation of Non-Research Activities for Peer-Reviewed and Other Publications
Decision Chart for Determining VHA Operations Activities That May Constitute Research
When Program Office, Network, or Facility officials are unable to reach a determination about the research versus non-research status of an activity, VHA Handbook 1058.05 §6e encourages requesting joint, written guidance from ORO and ORD. Such requests should be forwarded electronically to the ORO Executive Director and must include a complete copy of the project plan, including the purpose and methodology and, where applicable, any proposed publication(s). The ORO Executive Director will convey the request and required supporting materials to ORD, and after reaching a consensus, forward the joint ORO-ORD guidance to the requester.
VHA Handbook 1058.06: Research Conducted by Employees of VHA Program Offices (Oct 2011)
Sample Format for Documentation of Program Office Research
ORO Guidance
Importance of SOPs for Facility Human Research Protection Programs (January 12, 2015)
The current version of VHA Handbook 1200.05 (issued November 12, 2014, for implementation no later than March 12, 2015) provides facilities with increased flexibility in operating their Human Research Protection Programs (HRPPs). As a result, the facility’s local standard operating procedures (as required under VHA Handbook 1200.01 §§11.e & 14.d) will become ever more critical for ensuring HRPP effectiveness.
ORO strongly encourages facilities to evaluate carefully the effectiveness of their current HRPP procedures before making wholesale changes based solely on the recent revisions to VHA Handbook 1200.05. It is important to remember that the extant requirements of related regulations (e.g., FDA regulations at 21 CFR 312 and 812) and VHA Handbooks (e.g., 1200.01, 1200.12, 1058.01, 1605.1), remain in effect even in instances in which VHA Handbook 1200.05 no longer references them. In addition, local procedures that are working well need not be abandoned simply because the Handbook no longer requires them. Maintaining an effective local program of protections for human research subjects remains the responsibility of every VA research facility and every VA investigator.
ORD-ORO Joint Guidance on Semi-annual Reviews of the ACUP (September 23, 2016)
Reporting Deficient HIPAA Authorizations (June, 22, 2016)
Waiver of Requirement for a Full Time RCO
Other Publications and Guidance
- Plan to Access the Results of VA-Funded Research (July 2015)
- PowerPoint presentation (Jan 2016)
- Sample Format for Data Access Management Plan (Feb 2016)
- Data Management and Access Plan FAQs (Mar 2016)
- VA Directive 0005 - Scientific Integrity (July 2012)
- VHA Handbook 1200.05 - Requirement for the Protections of Human Subjects in Research (Revised Nov 2014)
- VHA Office of Research and Development Policies and Guidance
