Human Subjects – Office of Research Compliance /research-compliance Guidance and Resources for Research Compliance at the University of Maine Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:32:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 Seeking Volunteers to Test New IRB Submission System, Cayuse – June 2026 /research-compliance/2026/06/12/seeking-volunteers-to-test-new-irb-submission-system-cayuse-june-2026/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:32:00 +0000 /research-compliance/?p=8883 We are looking for researchers (students, faculty, or staff) who are willing to help us pilot test Cayuse, the new online submission system for IRB (Institutional Review Board)/human subjects research. Your input will help ensure the best experience for all researchers who use this new platform in the future!

If you are interested in trying the system, please contact umric@maine.edu for further instructions.

Cayuse provides the following features/benefits:

  • The system features smart form logic – so you will only see the sections of the form that you actually need to complete, based on your study.
  • You can view the status of your protocols. Whether it’s under pre-review with the IRB staff or is waiting to be assigned to an IRB member, you can see exactly where your studies are in the review process.
  • When you submit a modification, all the changes are automatically highlighted for the reviewers to see.

The review time may be a bit delayed as we all get used to the new system, so we do not recommend submitting anything that is urgent. 

At this time we are only accepting low risk studies that fall into the exempt or  categories (no full board studies). 

Again, if you are interested in trying the system, please contact umric@maine.edu for further instructions. Thank you for your consideration!

]]> Human Subjects / IRB Policy Updates – July 2025 /research-compliance/2025/09/04/human-subjects-irb-policy-updates/ Thu, 04 Sep 2025 18:35:10 +0000 /research-compliance/?p=8384 91¸£Àû Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research (PDF) was recently updated as of July 31, 2025. All persons involved with human subjects research should read this revised policy.

Major changes to the policy include:

  1. Collaborative Research Projects (page 8): Added information about single IRB.
  2. Expedited categories: The numbers of the review categories were updated to be in line with the Federal regulations (pages 13-15).
  3. A section on lapse of approval was added on page 16.
  4. Added that the investigator must notify the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) at least 30 days before leaving the institution on page 18.
  5. Added information about consent form and biospecimens on page 23, genome sequencing and consent on page 24, and mandatory reporting requirements on page 42.

For more information on human subjects research and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), please see the Office of Research Compliance: Human Subjects and contact us with any questions.

]]> New IRB Submission Process is Coming Soon! – June 2025 /research-compliance/2025/06/02/new-irb-submission-process-is-coming-soon-june-2025/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:21:54 +0000 /research-compliance/?p=7880 The Office of Research Compliance is in the process of transitioning to a new electronic system. Cayuse will replace the current way IRB (Institutional Review Board) applications are submitted for review.

Cayuse provides the following features:

  • The system features smart form logic (hides/shows questions based on your responses).
  • The system will sync with your 91¸£Àû CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) training account.
  • You can view the status of your protocols. Whether it’s under pre-review with the IRB staff or is waiting to be assigned to an IRB member, you can see where your studies are in the review process.
  • When you submit a modification, all the changes are automatically highlighted for the reviewers to see.

More information is coming soon!

]]>