The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC)

Mission Statement

The mission of The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) is to promote the ethical conduct of research. ORIC serves the UTSA research community by providing independent oversight in coordinating institution-wide research compliance policy, procedures and training through partnering with researchers. ORIC works with researchers to navigate the complex maze of federal, state, and local regulations that impact research undertaken at academic institutions. ORIC facilitates research integrity in the following areas: the use of humans and animals in research, biosafety, time and effort reporting, conflict of interest in Research & Intellectual Property, export controls, and the responsible conduct of research.

What's New

Mandatory Use of the eRA Commons Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Module

The purpose of the Federal regulation at 42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F, Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which PHS Funding is Sought, is to promote objectivity in research by establishing standards to ensure there is no reasonable expectation that the design, conduct or reporting of research funded under Public Health Service (PHS) grants or cooperative agreements will be biased by any conflicting financial interest of an investigator. Specifically, 42 CFR Part 50.604(g)(2) requires that prior to spending any funds under an award, the Institution must report to the NIH the existence of any conflicting financial interests, but not the nature of the interest or other details found by the institution, and assure that the interest has been managed, reduced, or eliminated. In addition, for any interest that the Institution identifies as conflicting subsequent to the Institution's initial report under the award, a report must be made and the conflicting interest managed, reduced, or eliminated, at least on an interim basis, within sixty days of that identification.

Beginning July 1, 2009, the NIH will require all Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) reports for grants and cooperative agreements to be submitted using the new electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons FCOI Module.

Compliance with this mandate will be handled by the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at UTSA. If you have not submitted a Conflict of Interest in Research and Intellectual Property form, do so immediately. For additional information or for assistance with the COI disclosure process, go to the website at http://vpr.utsa.edu/oric/coi/ or call (210) 458-4531.

IRB Help Lab

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is offering help sessions every Tuesday & Wednesday from 2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. at Room 4.01.84 in the Multidisciplinary Building. Bring in an electronic copy of any materials with which you need assistance. Get the answers to all your IRB questions.

IRB Help Lab Information