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OVPR Connection Form

Connection Form - Office of the Vice President for Research

The Office of the Vice President for Research invites members of the UConn community to use this form to ask questions, share ideas, etc.

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What questions do you have for the OVPR?

VPRIE Lindsay DiStefano and the OVPR leadership team will select 1-2 questions to answer in each new edition of "The Abstract" (OVPR's bi-weekly communication). If you would like an individual response to your question, please include your name and email address below

Would you like an OVPR representative to visit meet with you or your unit regarding this question?

OVPR is available to talk with you, your team, or your unit about any research / research support related topic. Please share your name and email address below.

Yes

Not at this time

What solution-focused suggestions or ideas would you like to share (related to research / research support)?

The challenges we encounter as University are numerous, complex, and ever-shifting. No one has all of the answers. OVPR welcomes your ideas about how to address challenges in positive, productive ways.

Name (optional)

If you would like an individual response to your question or would like to set up a meeting with an OVPR representative, please share your name.

Email Address

If you would like an individual response to your question or would like to set up a meeting with an OVPR representative, please share your UConn email address.

Reliance FAQs for Multi-site Research and Research with External Collaborators

Effective Monday, March 9, 2026 new minimal risk studies that are eligible for Exempt or Expedited review should be submitted to BRANY IRB rather than the UConn IRB, unless an exception has been granted. This is in addition to studies that already meet existing criteria for BRANY submission (external funding, more than 2 external collaborators). This means that the majority of new projects should follow instructions found on the UConn BRANY webpage when creating an Initial Application in InfoEd. Do NOT create an Initial Application in InfoEd before reviewing this BRANY IRB Announcement. Note: Human Subjects Research (HSR) Determinations, External Exempt (REG) and Full Board studies should continue to be submitted in InfoEd as usual for review by the UConn IRB Office.

The terms “external collaborators” and “external investigators” refer to study personnel who are engaged in human subjects research under the purview of the UConn IRB but who are not affiliated with UConn Storrs or any of the UConn Regional Campuses.

Please note that UConn Health is a separate entity with its own IRB. UConn Health faculty and personnel are considered external collaborators/investigators for the purposes of IRB protocols unless the individual has a dual affiliation and their role in the research is primarily related to their UConn Storrs/Regional Campuses role.

Possession of a NetID does not necessarily mean that an individual is affiliated with UConn. For example, if an individual’s only association with UConn is a sponsored affiliate account, this individual would likely be considered an external study team member. Please explain the UConn association (e.g., paid contractor for this study) for any individual with an affiliate account in your IRB application.

Generally, a person or institution is engaged in human subjects research if they have a key role in designing or conducting the research, analyzing identifiable information, or obtaining informed consent. Determining whether an external person or an external institution is engaged in a research project is typically the first step for an IRB Office in determining whether an external agreement may need to be executed.

Detailed federal guidance regarding engagement, including specific scenarios, can be found here: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/guidance/guidance-on-engagement-of-institutions/index.html.

Reliance agreements may be executed when researchers from different institutions with their own IRBs collaborate on a nonexempt research project. If you are conducting research at an elementary school, and the school staff will not be part of the study team, you will need to obtain permission to conduct the research at the school, but a reliance agreement will probably not be required. In your IRB submission, be sure to provide a detailed explanation of any research-related activities that will be undertaken by school staff so that your reviewer can appropriately advise you if any types of external agreements may be necessary.

If the external agency does not have their own IRB, then within your InfoEd application you will need to request that UConn serve as the IRB of record for external investigators and note that these investigators are individuals who are not affiliated with an institution with an IRB.

UConn does not enter into reliance agreements for exempt research. Each institution involved in the research will need to issue an exemption determination to cover their own affiliates’ activities. As you develop your study materials, please refer to the Guidance for Multisite Exempt Research on our IRB Reliance webpage for more information.

The UConn IRB generally does not review the activities of external personnel who are affiliated with an institution with an IRB when a study qualifies for exempt status. Collaborators should reach out to their home institution’s IRB to determine local review requirements and/or obtain their own exemption determination. Although these external collaborators should not be listed individually on the UConn IRB application, if the collaboration will necessitate significant changes to the approved study materials or updates to the information provided to the IRB during the initial review, an amendment to address these changes may be necessary. Please refer to the Guidance for Multisite Exempt Research on our IRB Reliance webpage for more information.

If you intend to collaborate on a project that another IRB has already determined is exempt research, you will need to create an “External Exempt” Initial Application in InfoEd and attach the materials from the external IRB as requested in the electronic application. The UConn IRB Office will review the submission for local context and attempt to issue our own exemption determination based on the materials approved by the other IRB. Refer to our Guidance for Multisite Exempt Research found on the IRB Reliance webpage for more information.

Note that all materials to be used for multisite research, whether the study is exempt or nonexempt, should properly reflect the involvement of each engaged site.

Yes, you will need to submit your activities to the UConn IRB as UConn is responsible for reviewing the research activities undertaken by our own affiliates as part of their role at UConn.

If the datasets are considered to be de-identified, you should submit a “Not Human Subjects Research” application in InfoEd. Note that datasets that may be referred to as “de-identified” may not meet federally-defined IRB standards for “de-identified” so it is best to seek an official IRB determination before beginning any analyses on data collected from human subjects.

If you intend to analyze identifiable data (which includes any type of recording), you should submit a “Request to rely on a non-UConn IRB” submission if your colleague’s IRB is willing to serve as the IRB of record. If your colleague’s IRB is not willing to serve as the IRB of record, you should submit an IRB application for “Expedited/Full Board” review that focuses on your role in the overall project.

Your colleague should consult with their IRB (if they haven’t already) and establish if their IRB would be willing to serve as the IRB of record with UConn as a relying site. If your colleague’s IRB is willing to serve as the reviewing IRB, then you should submit a “Request to rely on a non-UConn IRB” Initial Application in InfoEd so that our IRB Office can review your request. To complete the InfoEd application, you will need to have copies of the approved study materials, the initial approval letter from the IRB of record, and any forms the IRB of record would like the UConn IRB to complete.

If your colleague’s IRB is not willing to serve as the IRB of record, and the study is not subject to the single IRB mandate due to federal funding, you should submit an Initial Application in InfoEd for an “Expedited/Full Board” review. The application should focus on your planned study activities.

For multisite research, you should develop your IRB review plan well in advance of your IRB submission. If your study is federally funded by one of the agencies subject to the single IRB mandate (this includes most federal funding), you may be required to designate one IRB to serve as the IRB of record. The IRB should be consulted in advance before designating it to serve as the IRB of record. If the single IRB mandate is not applicable, you should discuss with your collaborators if it makes sense to designate a single IRB of record and have the other institutions rely on that IRB’s review or if you would prefer to have each IRB conduct their own review.

Refer to the Guidance for UConn Serving as the IRB of Record for Multisite Research on the IRB Reliance webpage for additional information on how to develop an IRB review plan and how to create study materials for multisite research.

If you would like to request that UConn serve as the IRB of record, please complete the “Request for UConn to Serve as the IRB of Record” form found on the IRB Reliance webpage and email the completed form to irb-reliance@uconn.edu.

Currently, research that is externally funded and/or involves more than two engaged external relying sites or external investigators is eligible for review by BRANY IRB. Please see our BRANY IRB webpage for more information and to confirm study eligibility.

For “RELY” studies where an external IRB is serving as the IRB of record, all changes to the local UConn personnel should be submitted as a “Personnel Change” submission in InfoEd. UConn is responsible for verifying training and checking for COI. You and/or the Overall PI should also consult with the IRB of record to be sure you understand their amendment submission requirements and whether they require amendments to update relying site personnel changes.

For local relying site personnel changes where UConn serves as the IRB of record, an amendment is not required to notify the UConn IRB each time there is an update to the personnel at a relying site unless the local PI is changing or the personnel change could affect study safety (such as the removal of a medical monitor). All other local personnel changes should be reviewed and processed by the relying IRB where those changes are occurring. However, although individual amendment submissions are not required to update the UConn IRB of most relying site personnel changes, the Overall PI at UConn is required to keep an updated list of study personnel at each site and will be asked to submit this list on the External Personnel Log form with their annual continuing review or administrative check-in submission. The External Personnel Log form is available on the IRB Reliance webpage.

Please email irb-reliance@uconn.edu with your question, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are reaching out with an initial inquiry about a new multisite study, in your email please identify all external collaborators and sites that will be engaged in the research, identify who will serve as the overall PI, identify who will serve as the UConn PI, provide a brief description of the research, describe any funding, and include any other information that may be relevant to your inquiry.

HRP Request Form

Compliance

What is PPASA?

The Pre-Award and Post-Award Support & Analysis (PPASA) team is part of Sponsored Program Services (SPS) and serves as a central resource for financial oversight, compliance, and operational support for sponsored research at UConn. PPASA partners closely with SPS Post Award staff, Principal Investigators, departmental administrators, and internal auditors to ensure that sponsored funds are managed responsibly and in full accordance with University policies, as well as federal, state, sponsor, and award-specific regulations.

PPASA plays a key role in strengthening institutional processes by reviewing, standardizing, and streamlining workflows. The team supports SPS Post Award, departments, and University staff to identify needs, leading development efforts, and implementing new initiatives that promote efficiency, compliance and research excellence. PPASA’s mission reflects a commitment to continuous improvement and to moving beyond traditional practices in support of evolving best practices.

PPASA provides measurable value to the University by strengthening financial stewardship, reducing institutional risk, and promoting consistent compliance across sponsored programs. Through proactive monitoring, transaction-level reviews, and early engagement with faculty and departments, PPASA helps identify and address potential compliance issues before they escalate into audit findings and/or disallowed costs. By supporting standardized practices, reinforcing internal controls, and serving as a central compliance and advisory resource, PPASA enhances UConn’s audit readiness, protects sponsor relationships, and supports the long-term sustainability and credibility of the University’s research enterprise.

What Does PPASA Do?

PPASA provides oversight and support through a wide range of activities, including:

Monitoring subrecipients to ensure institutional and sponsor compliance
Reviewing sponsored project transactions, including PCard and HuskyBuy purchases, to ensure allowability and consistency
Conducting new award outreach to support compliant Post Award setup and spending
Performing risk-based reviews and data analysis to identify trends and improvement opportunities
Participating in RFPs and providing consultative support for sponsored projects and SPS initiatives
Collaborating with SPS Post Award, departments, and internal partners to strengthen internal controls and enhance audit readiness
Managing human research participant payment system, which streamlines and automates participant payments while ensuring compliance, accuracy, and real-time tracking

Protected: Foundation Funding (Password Required)

Foundation and Private Funding

The Office for the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Research Development Services (RDS) team supports faculty in all disciplines in finding and winning external funding for their work. The RDS team works to enhance the research climate at UConn. Some funding opportunities, specifically corporate and foundation funding, require a specialized partnership process.

The UConn Foundation Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) team is a central resource for funding opportunities that necessitate partnerships between companies or philanthropic foundations and the University. The CFR team maintains relationships with a wide variety of organizational and corporate partners and is eager to work with UConn and UConn Health to identify appropriate prospects, connect faculty to funding opportunities and provide guidance on reporting. See our foundation funding opportunities page for a list of available opportunities.

UConn Research Development Services

UConn Foundation

OVPR SPS Reports Archive

OVPR SPS Quarterly Reports

EMERGE Phase 1 & 2 Emergency Funding Program

The University of Connecticut EMERGE Program provides short-term (<12 months) essential support when external funding for an investigator has been interrupted due to circumstances (broadly related to recent changes in federal policies and priorities) beyond the investigator’s control.

This program is provided through a collaboration among faculty, departments, and schools/colleges, centers/institutes, the OVPR, and the Provost’s Office. The distribution of EMERGE funds is contingent upon contributed funds from faculty, departments, schools/colleges, and/or centers/institutes based on existing unrestricted funds available.

EMERGE funds will be available in two phases. Phase 1 is limited to emergency, non-cancellable, university-obligated costs that are not recoverable as unavoidable costs on the project. Phase 2 provides funding to support an investigator’s pivot to pursue alternative funding mechanisms.

The EMERGE program will accept applications on a rolling basis. Reviews will be performed every 2 weeks with a goal for decisions within 3 weeks of submission. The three weeks begins once the application has been approved by unit leaders

EMERGE program requests must meet several conditions:

The program is intended for cases where current, active grants or contracts have been terminated or interrupted (i.e., paused) for reasons beyond the investigator’s control. Other situations may be considered on a case-by-case basis, provided that recent changes in federal funding policies and practices cause the funding gap to be addressed.

Phase 1 funds Funding priority is for the base salaries and fringe of graduate students, postdocs, and other externally funded personnel costs up to the amount currently funded on the impacted grants or contracts. Other critical research expenses outside of salaries may be considered with justification. Summer salary is excluded from EMERGE requests.

Phase 2 funds: Can include any costs in Phase 1, plus other expenses needed to support an investigator in the pursuit of new external funding through pilot projects and/or completing critical aims/tasks from terminated projects and/or helping a graduate student complete their degree.

Contributions from PI, Co-PI, department, school/college, and/or Center/Institute funds are expected based on available unrestricted fund balances (startup, IDC, salary savings, or any other accounts that may be used for research costs). Faculty, department heads/chairs, deans, and directors are empowered to work collaboratively on plans to make funds available for contribution. Contributions for emergency needs will vary based on the local funds available. Where available balances allow, local and school/college contributions will likely need to exceed the third/third/third model previously used for OVPR matches. This will allow the OVPR to reserve limited central funds for units with low discretionary balances. This allocation of university resources is also imperative given the state’s attention to the university’s unrestricted account balances. The OVPR has cut programs/resources (e.g., internal seed grants, research development and communication resources) to pay costs associated with the EMERGE program.

PIs applying for EMERGE funds must work with their department, center/institute, and school/college leadership while preparing their financial and action plans.
- All financial resources available to the applicant should be examined. For example, if the investigator has over $10,000 in start-up or other discretionary funds, the OVPR expects the investigator to deplete those funds below $10,000 collectively as part of the financial plans.
- The role of the department head / dean / director is to render their best judgment regarding the applicant’s need for emergency funds in the context of the applicant’s other support and department / school / college / center / institute resources, and the applicant’s plans for restoring funding.
- Applications must have Department and School/College approval prior to submission
- All applications for EMERGE funds will be routed to the department head, dean and/or director for confirmation (the same approvals as IPRs).

If extramural grant funds (for the project in question) become available to the investigator during the period of the EMERGE award, any future unused funds must be returned. For example, it is expected that graduate student/staff supported by EMERGE funds would be transitioned back to external funding on reinstated or new related award

To receive funds under the EMERGE program, PIs must be up-to-date/compliant with all training requirements, including new trainings related Research Security.

Requests to the OVPR must be initiated through the EMERGE intake application (available through the UConn Quest Portal). Applications may be submitted by the PI, the Department/Center, or the Dean’s office.

Applications may be submitted through the UConn Quest Portal, (you may be prompted to first log in and then to click the link again to access the application) and must include the following components:

Note: Phase 1 and Phase 2 applications may be submitted together, if desired; however, we recommend taking time to fully consider phase 2 plans before submitting a phase 2 application.

Application Form – available on Quest Portal
- Applicant Information
- Background information regarding request
- Financial contribution overview

Request Details (*uploaded as PDF – no more than 3 pages). Please include the following sections:

- EMERGE Rationale:
  - Please describe the circumstances motivating the request for emergency funding.
  - If applicable, please include an overview of grants that have been cancelled (date of notification, expected end date, reason for cancellation, etc.)
  - For requests not including cancellations, please describe the federal action that is causing the emergency, any communications you’ve received from the sponsor, and any backup plans you have prepared.

- Immediate university-obligated / non-cancellable costs: EMERGE Phase 1 awards can support University obligated/critical costs that would have been covered by a grant if not for the action described in the previous section. Please include:
  - An overview of personnel (students, postdocs, staff) costs that can no longer be charged to the grant, as expected.
    - Include details about their current contract timeline, other sources of funding for their position (if any), and notice requirements for their positions if they cannot be continued.
    - If a contract end date extends beyond the expected end date of any terminated grants, please describe your original plans for supporting the position after the grant’s end.
  - A description of any other critical research expenses necessary to safely close out the project.
  - Any steps taken or commitments received that mitigate the impact of the federal action. This can include shifting impacted personnel to other projects/duties, offers of TAships/fellowships, or commitments of cash support.
  - Please work with your local financial / grant administrators and SPS Post Award to ensure all information is accurate.

- Action Plans, with timelines What activities do you propose to undertake during the EMERGE Phase 1 award period? Please outline:
  - Steps you are taking to minimize project-related costs.
  - Steps needed to scale down, reconfigure, or potentially close out the impacted project in an orderly fashion. Please complete this even if you also plan to apply for phase 2 funds.
  - The activities that personnel funded by EMERGE phase 1 would do during the award period.
  - Any project activities/deliverables that can be completed using EMERGE phase 1 support. This can include completing in-progress activities previously funded by terminated awards or activities that can help you pivot to new funding.

- Staffing plans EMERGE Phase 1 funds can only support personnel for the duration of the University’s current obligation (end of contract or end of layoff period, if applicable). Please share a brief overview of:
  - Plans for impacted staff beyond the phase 1 award period (may include new assignments for impacted personnel).
  - Plans to support impacted students through the end of their degree programs.
  - Any special circumstances (e.g., international considerations, etc.)

Budget Spreadsheet (uploaded as PDF) - Note: we have not yet established a particular format for the budget spreadsheet.
- Budgets should reflect the full non-cancellable costs related to the project for the emergency period, after cost minimizing steps are taken.
- Contributions from the PI, department, center/institute, and school/college should be accounted for in the budget. All project-related costs should be included.
- Budget should include:
  - Eligible Personnel costs, including benefit fringe rates at this link; university fringe benefit rates, (Storrs and regional campuses) and university fringe benefit rates (UConn Health Center) broken down by individual categories
  - Other critical costs that are required and/or cannot be deferred, in detail (e.g., animal care, equipment maintenance) 
  - Itemize contributions from PI, department, school/college, affiliated centers/institutes
- Please also provide a separate sheet listing all active PI accounts, including foundation accounts, indicating
  - Current balances
  - Amounts being committed for the current request
  - Other existing short/near term commitments for available funds, if any.
Optional Appendices (uploaded as PDF) may be uploaded.
- - such as but not limited to; letters of support, termination notices, hiring contracts, references/sources or any other information in support of the application

Phase 1 Review Process

After submission, the request will be routed to Department, Center/Institute, and School/College leadership for review and approval. Unit leaders will need to sign off on action plans and financial commitments.
Requests will then be reviewed by the OVPR, along with a representative of the EMERGE committee in the case of Storrs and Regional Campus submission and HCRAC for UConn Health submissions.
- All available accounts related to the request will be reviewed. For PIs, uncommitted fund balances above $10K (cumulative across all unrestricted accounts) must be put toward funding needs related to the terminated project.
- Action and staffing plans will be reviewed to ensure that they are complete and well-justified.
Reviews will be performed every 2 weeks with a goal for decisions within 3 weeks of submission. The three weeks begins once the application has been approved by unit leaders, as described above in #1.
Awards will be dependent on availability of EMERGE funding.

EMERGE Committee will be comprised of at least 5 members with representation from the following groups: OVPR Research Development, Center/Institute directors, Associate Deans for Research.

Note: Phase 1 and Phase 2 applications may be submitted together, if desired; however, we recommend taking time to fully consider phase 2 plans before submitting a phase 2 application.

Application Form – available on Quest Portal
- Applicant Information
- Background information regarding request
- Financial contribution overview

Request Details (*uploaded as PDF – no more than 3 pages). Please include the following sections:

- Part 1 – rationale for EMERGE
  - A brief overview of the factors that contributed to creating an extraordinary/emergency situation
  - Be specific about grant cuts (amounts, timelines, grant IDs
  - Briefly describe the gap you are filling (more detail comes later)
  - How federal policy changes have caused the situation. Make sure the committee can see that this is more critical than the average missed payline.
  - Contingency plans that you had in place and why they don’t meet the need.

- Part 2 – Impact of the emergency
  - What is exposed / at risk because of the situation described in part 1
  - Staff who cannot be supported / fully supported (include details about salary, contract dates, layoff notice requirements)
  - What the impact of losing those staff would be for the future productivity of your group
  - What steps have you taken to mitigate the issue / minimize the EMERGE need?

- Part 3 – Planned activities including timeline funded by EMERGE
  - If funded, what do you intend to do? What activities will take place and during which timeframe?
  - Are there other resources (besides staff) that are needed to accomplish what you seek to accomplish?
  - How will these activities help preserve / strengthen competitiveness for renewed external funding?

- Part 4 – Future Funding Plans
  - What new sources of funding are you seeking? Provide as many details about pending and planned submissions for specific funders
  - The committee will likely expect to see evidence that you are going in new directions rather than going back to the same sources that have caused the current issue. Talking about how EMERGE will give you the resources you need to move in a new direction (PIVOT) will be helpful.

Budget Spreadsheet (uploaded as PDF) Note: we have not yet established a particular format for the budget spreadsheet.
- Eligible Personnel costs, including university fringe benefit rates, broken down by individual
- Other research-related costs (materials and supplies, equipment, animal costs, participant costs, facility use fees, etc).
- Itemize contributions from PI, department, school/college, affiliated centers/institutes
- Separate sheet listing all active PI accounts, including foundation accounts, indicating:
  - Current balance
  - Overlap with current request
  - Existing short/near term commitments for available funds, if any

Optional Appendices (uploaded as PDF) may be uploaded.
- such as but not limited to; letters of support, termination notices, hiring contracts, references/sources or any other information in support of the application

Phase 2 Review Process

After submission, the request will be routed to Department, Center/Institute, and School/College leadership for review and approval. Unit leaders will need to sign off on the merit of proposed research, the likelihood of future external funding, and all financial commitments.
Requests will then be reviewed by the OVPR, along with a representative of the EMERGE committee in the case of Storrs and Regional Campus submission and HCRAC for UConn Health submissions.
- All available accounts related to the request will be reviewed. For PIs, uncommitted fund balances above $10K (cumulative across all unrestricted accounts) must be put toward funding needs related to the terminated project.
- Research and future funding plans will be reviewed to ensure that they are complete and well-justified. OVPR will rely upon the judgement of unit leaders regarding the intellectual merit of the proposed research.
Reviews will be performed every 2 weeks with a goal for decisions within 3 weeks of submission. The three weeks begins once the application has been approved by unit leaders, as described above in #1.
Awards will be dependent on availability of EMERGE funding.
EMERGE awards will be made for 6 month increments. Demonstration of progress is required to receive a subsequent allocation, if needed, and if funds are available.

EMERGE Committee will be comprised of at least 5 members with representation from the following groups: OVPR Research Development, Center/Institute directors, Associate Deans for Research.

As the purpose of Emerge is to temporarily stabilize emergency situations caused by grant terminations or other unanticipated actions related to federal funding policies, gaining access to new external funds to support the impacted work and personnel is a main expected outcome for EMERGE awards. Therefore, if new external dollars become available to EMERGE awardees, they must work with the OVPR to determine how the new funds will be applied to offset EMERGE funds and to determine whether an emergency still exists.

Emerge guideline language: If extramural grant funds (for the project in question) become available to the investigator during the period of the EMERGE award, any future unused funds must be returned. For example, it is expected that graduate student/staff supported by EMERGE funds would be transitioned back to external funding on a reinstated or new related award

Typically, “new external funding” can be broken down into two broad categories: 1) new funds freed up related to a terminated award and 2) new external awards (more details and definitions are supplied below).

Action Steps

Additional support related to the terminated award becomes available (i.e. carryover, additional costs covered by sponsor during closeout, etc.)

If an EMERGE-funded team receives word that new funds related to a previously terminated award may be available, they must email OVPR (research@uconn.edu) with CC to other contributors (Department, Center/Institute, School/College) as soon as possible.

Please share the amount of funding expected, when funds will be available, and if there are any expectations or limits from the sponsor on how the funds can be used.

It is expected that any additional funds related to the terminated award will be used to support EMERGE-funded activities, except as required by the sponsor.

Any such additional funds must be drawn from first to pay for costs related to EMERGE-Phase 1 and possibly Phase 2. (to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis)

EMERGE funds that are displaced by additional sponsor support will be returned to the OVPR so they can be reinvested.

New external funding awards are received

If an EMERGE-funded team receives new external funding awards, they must reach out to the OVPR (research@uconn.edu) with CC to other contributors (Department, Center/Institute, School/College) as soon as the official notice of award is received.

Please share the amount of funding expected and the anticipated start date of the award.

Please share a brief abstract of the project and a high-level overview of the personnel involved.

The EMERGE committee will review high-level information about the new award and advise on the next steps.

In most cases, the arrival of new external funds indicates that the emergency funding gap addressed by the EMERGE award has been alleviated, and the Committee will provide guidance on closing out the EMERGE award and transitioning personnel and activities to the new external funding source.

In rare cases, availability of new external funds may not fully alleviate the emergency conditions addressed by EMERGE. PIs in these circumstances should reach out to the OVPR (research@uconn.edu) to discuss their options.

BIS Request Power BI Access

View the SPS Quarterly Report (Power BI version)

FIRST Click the link above for the Power BI SPS Quarterly Report to determine if you already have access to the report.

If you are unable to reach the SPS Quarterly Report-Power BI version using the link above, please complete the form below to get access.

You will need to use your UConn Email and NetID credentials to log into the Power BI application. If you don’t know or have not activated your NetID, please visit the NetID Management webpage for assistance.

You will receive an email when your SPS Quarterly Report (Power BI version) access request has been processed.

BIS Access Request

Request access to SPS Quarterly Report (Power BI version)

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Business Integrations and Solutions (BIS) Contacts

Name	Title	Email
Jen Lamontagne	Assistant Director, Business Integrations and Solutions	jennifer.lamontagne@uconn.edu
Paula Engler	Research Reporting Analyst and Research IT Help Desk	paula.engler@uconn.edu
Cyndi Guest	Faculty Accruals Specialist	cyndi.guest@uconn.edu
Charlie Tuttle	Oracle PL/SQL Developer/DBA and Research IT Help Desk	charlie@uconn.edu
Kristin Winot	Functional Analyst/Effort Reporting Specialist	kristin.winot@uconn.edu

Business Integrations and Solutions (BIS)

The Business Integrations and Solutions (BIS) team helps keep UConn’s research systems running smoothly. We build and support tools used by Sponsored Program Services and others involved in research administration, making sure everything connects and shares data the way it should. Whether it’s developing new apps with our partners at Internal Insights and Innovation (i3), managing system integrations, providing useful reports and analyses, or working with SPS units to improve business processes, we’re behind the scenes making it all work better and more efficiently.

IBC Minutes

Effective June 1, 2025, the UConn IBC will make approved meeting minutes publicly available, by posting records on this site.

This procedure is pursuant to the provisions outlined in the NIH OSP Memorandum “Implementation Update: Promoting Maximal Transparency Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules” (NIH Notice: NOT-OD-25-082).

In compliance with the NIH Guidelines, the IBC meeting minutes document the committee’s review of experiments that fall within the scope of Section III. Research activities not subject to the NIH Guidelines are not reflected in these records.

IBC Minutes

In accordance with state FOI and the requirements of the NIH Guidelines, only approved IBC minutes will be posted publicly. Records in draft form are not subject to public records requests. Please refer to the NIH OSP FAQs IBC Meetings and Minutes for additional details. The UConn IBC follows current NIH guidance to ensure compliance.

Institutional Biosafety Committee

Mission Statement:

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the University of Connecticut (UConn) is committed to promoting the advancement of research and teaching activities, by ensuring that all experiments involving biological materials are conducted in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and guidelines. As required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), all institutions that conduct research with recombinant/synthetic nucleic acids (rsNA) and receive NIH funding, must maintain an active IBC. With the cooperative effort of Principal Investigators (PIs), the IBC conducts risk assessments for hazards associated with the use of biological materials, and promotes the safe use of such materials by enhancing lab personnel’s understanding of biosafety practices and procedures, as defined in the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Overview:

Pursuant to Section IV-B-2 of the NIH Guidelines, the IBC was originally established to review and approve “Experiments Covered by the NIH Guidelines”, as defined under Section III. Compliance with the NIH Guidelines is a requirement for institutions that accept NIH funding and conduct covered experiments. As such, compliance with the Guidelines is a term and condition of funding for all labs at UConn working with rsNA, regardless of funding source.

Due to increased regulations and rapid advancements in life sciences research, the scope of the IBC has evolved over time. IBC approval is required for all biological materials including but not limited to:

recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (rsNA),
bacteria, their phages and plasmids,
viruses and viral vectors,
biological toxins,
fungi, prions and parasites,
human and animal cells, blood, tissues, body fluids, etc.,
transgenic and wild type animals, plants, and
animal remains and insects that may harbor zoonotic pathogens.

The IBC collaborates with Biosafety to ensure compliance with other federal and state regulations, such as Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), etc.

Committee Membership:

The IBC is actively recruiting new committee members!

If you are interested in joining an exciting committee that oversees biological research at UConn, email ibc@uconn.edu or the IBC Program Director at danielle.delage@uconn.edu.

The IBC must comprise no fewer than five members. At least two members shall not be affiliated with the institution (apart from membership on the IBC). Unaffiliated members represent the interest of the surrounding community with respect to health and protection of the environment.

UConn’s IBC consists of faculty, staff, and unaffiliated community members. All committee members contribute to the professional competency necessary to review the broad scope of research and teaching activities at the University.

Last Revised: 03/03/2025

Institutional Biosafety Committee

Mission Statement:

Overview:

Due to an increase in regulatory oversight as well as rapid advancements in life sciences research, the scope of the IBC has evolved over time, to include all work with biological materials.

IBC Registrations are required for the storage, use, or handling of biological materials.

Biological Materials include, but are not limited to:

recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (rsNA),
bacteria, their phages and plasmids,
viruses and viral vectors,
biological toxins,
fungi, prions and parasites,
human and animal cells, blood, tissues, body fluids, etc.,
transgenic and wild type animals, plants, and
animal remains and insects that may harbor zoonotic pathogens.

Committee Membership:

If you are interested in joining an exciting committee that oversees biological research at UConn, email ibc@uconn.edu or the IBC Program Director at danielle.delage@uconn.edu.

News & Announcements:

NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) — Biosafety Modernization Initiative

NIH has launched an initiative to update biosafety policies and oversight to address emerging risks from rapidly advancing science and technology. To support this effort, OSP plans to strengthen partnerships with institutional oversight bodies and reinforce the role of IBCs, aligning with other oversight committees such as IRBs and IACUCs.

NIH is requesting feedback from stakeholders (researchers, IBC members, etc.) regarding what they think should be included in a modern biosafety policy. A portal has been established for public comment on this initiative, which is linked below:

Submit Feedback

https://osp.od.nih.gov/help-modernize-and-strengthen-the-oversight-of-biosafety/

While comments submitted through the portal can relate to any aspect of biosafety oversight, NIH is particularly interested in hearing individual opinions regarding:

Appropriate scope for NIH’s biosafety policy
Types of research that may require less local or NIH oversight based on accrued safety data or due to oversight by other federal authorities
Other comments on NIH’s biosafety oversight

Be sure to follow University Policy when submitting personal comments.

Example Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect the views or positions of the University of Connecticut.

For additional information, please visit the NIH OSP website: https://osp.od.nih.gov/policies/biosafety-and-biosecurity-policy#tab2/

Ella Sun, Director	elsun@uchc.edu
Matthew Cahill, Assistant Director	matthew.cahill@uconn.edu
Michelle Owens, Grants and Contracts Specialist	michelle.owens@uconn.edu
Cansu Kaya-Yavas, Grants and Contracts Assistant	cansu.kaya_yavas@uconn.edu

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What do the terms “external investigators” or “external collaborators” mean in relation to my UConn IRB submission?

What does an “engaged” external collaborator mean in relation to human subjects research?

A colleague from UConn Health and I plan to be co-investigators on a new study. Which IRB should we submit to?

I am planning to conduct research at a local elementary school. No one from the school staff will be on my study team. Will I need a reliance agreement?

I am designing a research project with a colleague at another university. We anticipate that the project will be reviewed as exempt research. Will I need a reliance agreement?

I would like to add a colleague from another university to my study team for my ongoing exempt research. What do I need to do?

A colleague from another university would like to add me to their study team for a project that their IRB determined was exempt research. What should I do?

A colleague at another university has asked me to join their study team to conduct statistical analyses for an ongoing project. My colleague’s IRB has already approved the research via expedited (nonexempt) review. Do I need to submit anything to the UConn IRB?

A colleague from another university would like to add me to their study team for a project that their IRB determined was nonexempt research. What should I do?

I intend to serve as the PI for a nonexempt study that will include study team members from other universities. Where should I start with my IRB submission?

I am a student at UConn, and I plan to work on an ongoing research project related to my major at a local hospital. The project was approved by the hospital’s IRB. What do I need to submit to the UConn IRB?

I am the Overall PI for a multisite study for which UConn serves as the IRB of record. A collaborator at one of the relying universities is adding new personnel to their local study team. Do I need to submit an amendment to both UConn and the relying IRB?

I have a question about external collaborations in human subjects research that is not covered here. Who should I contact for assistance?

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