DHHS announces proposed changes to federal regulations governing protection of human subjects in research

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has announced proposed changes to the regulations governing research on human subjects. These changes are designed to address issues in the evolving research landscape since the current regulations were adopted in 1991.

All UND researchers in any field who work with human subjects are strongly encouraged to review the Federal Register announcement and supplemental information on the web site DHHS has established for the proposed changes: www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/anprm2011page.html. The office of the Institutional Review Board is planning on holding a campus meeting during the first or second week of September to obtain feedback from researchers for inclusion in the University’s comments on the proposed changes to the regulations, which are due no later than 5 p.m. EST time on Monday, Sept. 26. More information on this meeting will be sent out once plans are finalized. If you have any questions, you may contact Michelle L. Bowles, IRB coordinator, at michelle.bowles@research.und.edu.

— Research Development and Compliance.