Research Community Forums (RCFs)

Venue: Virtual

This Forum was a 2-day Virtual Research Community Forum co-hosted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This event covered a variety of riveting themes, such as conducting research in emergency medical situations, increasing and diversifying clinical trials, and advancing research in response to COVID. The event will feature distinguished keynote speakers including Professor Ahamed H. Idris, Ms. Tesheia Johnson, and the Reverend Dr. Leroy Perry.

Venue: The Lynnwood Convention Center, Lynnwood, WA

The Forum was a 2-day educational outreach initiative that provided a 1-day conference focusing on ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to hot-button topics in human research protections, and a 1-day interactive workshop focusing on the HHS regulations and policies on human research protections and their applicability. View Agenda

List of sponsors:

• Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR)

Venue: Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, KS

The Forum is a 2-day educational outreach initiative. Day One featured an interactive workshop with staff from OHRP. Day Two featured outstanding opportunities to strengthen research skills and approaches. Representatives from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative, OHRP, FDA and national and regional experts shared their perspectives on implementation of new technologies, emerging issues in the use of identifiable information and biospecimens, and innovations in patient engagement in biomedical research, including effectively communicating research to stakeholders. View Day Two Schedule.

List of sponsors:

• University of Kansas Medical Center
• The Universityof Kansas Health System
• KU Frontiers, The University of Kansas Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Venue: Hilton Hotel, Greenville, NC

The Forum was a 2-day educational outreach initiative that provided a 1-day conference focusing on ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to hot-button or topical matter in human research protections, and a 1-day interactive workshop focusing on the HHS regulations and policies on human research protections and their applicability. The Forum featured distinguished faculty members from academia and the Federal Government. View Agenda.

List of sponsors:

• East Carolina University
• University of North Carolina Wilmington
• North Carolina Central University
• North Carolina State University
• The University of North Carolina System

Venue: Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

This 2-day educational outreach initiative included a workshop and a conference day. This event focused on the changes to informed Consent in the Revised Common Rule and addressed issues surrounding informed consent and how the research community can move forward to address issues of content, communications, and emerging technologies. View Agenda.

List of co-sponsors:

• Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Catalyst
• The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (Harvard Catalyst)
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Partners HealthCare
• Tufts Clinical and Translational Institute
• Yale Center for Clinical Investigation

Venue: Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, San Diego, CA

The Forum was a 2-day educational outreach initiative. Day One featured an interactive workshop with staff from OHRP. Day Two fostered thought-provoking discussions covering a broad range of research topics including, for example, central/single IRBs, innovative care, quality improvement, technology and the learning healthcare environment. View Agenda.

Co-sponsor:

• UC San Diego

Venue: Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, KY

The forum included an academic conference and an applied workshop that is relevant for IRB members and administrators, clinical investigators, research scientists and support staff, and sponsors. OHRP staff and research experts provided perspectives and resources for interpreting and applying human subject protections in an evolving regulatory landscape. Ethical issues spanning social/behavioral, biomedical, community-engagement, and innovative research were covered. View Agenda.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Venue: The Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center, Augusta, Georgia

This productive two-day event included a 1-day workshop and 1-day forum conference. The forum’s workshop featured interactive presentations by OHRP staff on a range of topics related to the HHS regulations, including discussion of the revised Common Rule in addition to a guest presentation and a panel discussion about the practicalities of sIRB review for multi-site research. The conference included break-out sessions covering a variety of research topics such as central IRBs and related issues, genetics research, online consent, and reporting concerns.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• Augusta University
• Emory University
• Georgia Southern University
• Georgia State University
• University of Georgia

Venue: The Hilton Meadowlands, 2 Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, New Jersey

This was a dynamic two-day event included a 1-day workshop and a 1-day forum conference. The RCF examined several important issues that arise from the use of big data. Research with large datasets to reveal patterns and associations along with the development of personalized medicine that these analyses have allowed, present legal, regulatory, and ethical implications for researchers and participants. The conference provided a form to discuss the intersection of these issues. View Agenda.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC)

Venue: Hartford Marriott Downtown Hotel, Hartford, Connecticut

This two day event included a symposium focused on ethical issues of engaging community participation in research. Topics included applying human research ethics in emerging technologies, the impact of recent federal updates, community engaged participatory research, patient powered research, and mobile health engagement. It also included a full day workshop allowing the research community to engage with OHRP staff and explore various key aspects of human research protection including the direct perspective of former participants.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• Hartford Healthcare

Venue: Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee

This two-day event included a 1-day workshop and a 1-day forum conference. The Forum Workshop was designed to help participants appreciate how to interpret and apply the U.S. federal regulations and policies on human research protections. The Forum Conference was packed with a rich and exciting program with a special focus on the changing landscape of research. Dr. Richard Gorman, M.D., delivered the keynote presentation entitled “How Do You Know What You Think You Know?” Break-out session topics included: OHRP’s top 10 compliance risks, challenges in pediatric genomic and drug development research, and new technologies in recruitment and data collection, among others. View Agenda.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Venue: Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida

This two-day event included a 1-day workshop and a 1-day forum conference. The Forum Workshop was specially designed to help participants appreciate how to interpret and apply the U.S. federal regulations and policies on human research protections. The Forum Conference was packed with a rich and exciting program with a special focus on research with vulnerable populations. Celia B. Fisher, Ph.D. delivered the keynote presentation entitled "Vulnerable, Marginalized and At-Risk Participants in Research." Break-out session topics included: Research in Disaster Zones and Humanitarian Crises, Research with Apps and Mobile Devices, Illegal Activities or Undocumented Status in Human Research, Ebola and Other Emerging Pathogens - A New Challenge in Research, Cultural Competence in Research, and Incidental Findings, Genetic Research And Consent.

List of co-sponsors:

• OHRP
• CITI Program at the University of Miami
• University of Miami Human Subjects Research Office
• Miami Children’s Hospital
• University of South Florida
• Nova Southeastern University
• Baptist Health Systems

Venue: Global Center for Health Innovation, Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio

This conference covered a variety of topics including informed consent and the teach back method, managing multicenter trials and the use of single IRB, and handling issues surrounding conflict of interest and others. The target audience included researchers, research coordinators, IRB members and staff, institutional officials, other public health service agencies, emerging bioscience companies entering human research, and others with an interest in research involving human subjects. OHRP staff were available to answer questions, explain the HHS regulatory requirements, and provide news and policy updates.

List of co-sponsors:

• University Hospitals Case Medical Center
• Case Western Reserve University, Ohio

Venue: Governors State University

This conference covered the basics about applying the HHS regulations for the protection of human subjects in research and a variety of topics including the ethics related to internet research, ethnographic research and incidental findings; data sharing, and various aspects of informed consent, among others. The target audience included investigators, research staff, IRB members and staff, and institutional officials. OHRP staff were available to answer questions, explain the HHS regulatory requirements, and provide news and policy updates.

List of co-sponsors:

• Governors State University
• Indiana State University
• Northwestern University
• Illinois State University
• Rush University Medical Center
• DePaul University

Venue: Denver Marriott City Center, Denver, Colorado

This dynamic and interactive one-day conference included tracks focusing on HRPP/IRB fundamentals, HRPP efficiencies and social media in research. The target audience included researchers, research coordinators, IRB members and staff, institutional officials, other public health service agencies, emerging bioscience companies entering human research, and others with an interest in research involving human subjects. OHRP staff were available to answer questions, explain the HHS regulatory requirements, and provide news and policy updates.

List of co-sponsors:

• Catholic Health Institute for Research & Innovation
• The Regents of the University of Colorado