Whether supporting Dr. Stephen G. Dunbar’s research on saving the sea turtles, or assisting the Adventist Health Study, the goal of Research Affairs is to promote and manage research activities in all entities and affiliates of Loma Linda University Health. Recently, Research Affairs implemented several innovations to better serve and inform the campus about research.
In 2012, Research Administration worked diligently towards rolling out an integrated research website targeting researchers on campus. The site has also continued to be a resource for the public about research activities and clinical trials in progress. This year, the Research Protection Program has worked to offer resources on the website to help provide researchers who work with human subjects with new tools to initiate interactions with the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Last August marked the NIH mandated deadline for implementing substantive changes in Research Conflict of Interest requirements, and as a result, Research Administration along with Research Integrity spearheaded the implementation of an online utility to manage financial conflicts of interest. An online training program was developed within in the OWL system, and since its inception last August, over 1,400 researchers have completed the training. Research Integrity is continuing to work with Information Services and other departments to streamline the process and manage the site.
Research Affairs Financial Management (RAFM) is also working on updating processes to increase efficiency of subrecipient monitoring. Research Affairs Financial Management (RAFM) oversees and manages award funding and supports researchers in assuring compliant financial performance. In consultation with Information Services, RFAM has been developing an electronic system to simplify Personnel Activity Reporting, and is preparing for implementation this July.
Want to learn more about research at Loma Linda University Health? Join in one of the Research Affairs new monthly seminars, highlighting research questions and topics. Join the Research Affairs June 11 to learn more about “Monitoring & Audit Preparation,” or on July 9 for a discussion on “Speed Networking: Networking for Collaborative Research Opportunities.” To learn more about the seminar series or to RSVP, contact Lorraine Sarmiento.
To learn more about Research Affairs, visit their new website here.