MOU
The University of California (UC) system recognizes the benefit to its investigators of a single IRB review for collaborative human subject research involving multiple UC campuses. Starting in 2005, the ten UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab signed their first MOU agreeing to rely on each other’s IRB reviews for minimum risk studies. Several iterations later, the current MOU for IRB Review of Multi-Campus Human Subject Research now allows UC campuses to rely on each other for review of collaborative multi-site studies determined to be exempt, eligible for IRB review, or requiring full committee review.
In practice, this means UC investigators, involved in a collaborative or multi-site effort engaging two or more UC locations, don’t have to submit their protocols for IRB reviews at each participating UC location. UC investigators may utilize this service for collaborative or multi-site research:
- Involving individually identifiable data or samples, and or
- Involving de-identified data or biospecimens for research, subject to FDA regulations.
