2008 Facility Director's Certification of Research Oversight:   Effective Februrary 21, 2007, VHA policy requires that each Medical Center Director annually certify oversight of the facility's research program.  All six pages of the Certification Checklist and a Remedial Action Plan to address all identified deficiencies must be submitted to the appropriate   ORO Regional Office  through the VISN Directorno later than July 15, 2008 .

Note:  The VHA Facility Director’s Annual Certification of Research Oversight may be sent to ORO Regional Offices by delivery service, fax, or encrypted email attachment.  The facility/VISN should arrange to submit the documents in a manner that ensures protection of sensitive information. The Director’s signature and other information provided on the Certification must be clear, and the appropriate Action Plans must accompany the Certification. 

Animal Welfare Checklist

Checklist for Developing an MOU

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Checklist  was modified on 5/21/08 to more accurately reflect regulations and VA policies and to correct typographical errors.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Checklist was modified on 4/14/08 to more accurately reflect regulations and VA policies and to correct typographical errors.

Research and Development Committee Checklist   was modified on 4/14/08 to more accurately reflect VA policies.

Research Data Security Assessment Checklist has been updated to include new requirements.  Obsolete or rescinded information has been removed as well. The main change in the checklist is the revision of Section D.  The subtle changes in other places of the checklist are resulted from the revision of Section D.

It is important to point out that Section D does not include all security requirements in VA Handbook 6500.  It focuses on only the requirements for use, access, transmission, and transportation of VA information outside of VA facilities.  In a VA research environment, this involves primarily remote access, VA information on affiliate systems, and VA-affiliate interconnections.  We would accomplish a lot if we could make this vulnerable area of information security secure.

Please also refer to the   VA Research Data Security and Privacy information that is listed on the Office of Research and Development's website.

Research Privacy Checklist is now available for your use.  This checklist incorporates policies in key VA and VHA Handbooks, Directives, Memoranda, and regulations.  This checklist also reflects areas that ORO staff might review on site visits to your facility.  Because new policies and guidance are being developed rapidly now in this area, please watch the ORO website for updates and new versions of the checklist.  We hope this is helpful to you.  We suggest that you also see the ORO Research Data Security Assessment Checklist of February 23, 2007.

Research Safety Checklist

Security Checklist for BSL-1 and BSL-2 Laboratories   Revised on September 5, 2007.  Language has been modified in item 6: bullet two, page 3, now indicates that "if the lab houses hazardous agents and/or SATs as defined by 1200.06 , the R&D Committee must review the status of personnel granted access to VA research labs at least semiannually including, among other criteria, visa status." (underscoring supplied to denote language modification.)

Security Checklist for BSL-3 Research Laboratory  Please also refer to the  memorandum from the ORO Chief Officer to the Directors of facilities with BSL-3 Research Laboratories, which indicates that most BSL-3 Research Laboratories will be visited by ORO staff every other year for a security inspection; facilities will conduct their own inspections each year that no ORO visit is conducted and submit a report to ORO.