SECTION III: Facilities, Resources, and Services

Harriet J. Kitzman Center for Research Support

The purposes of the Kitzman Center for Research Support are to:

Facilitate the research and scholarly development of the School of Nursing faculty and their intra and interdisciplinary collaborators.
Provide training opportunities for pre and postdoctoral fellows in all phases of the research process.
Advance research dissemination and evidence-based practice.
Provide support to the Centers of Excellence

Pre- and Post-Award Administrative Services: Link to section

In collaboration with your advisor, the goal of this group is to provide support to faculty and doctoral students. Assisting in achieving research goals by providing general administrative support for grant submissions, working closely on the preparation of grant proposals (especially budgeting and regulatory issues), and oversight of post-award financial management.

Grant Proposal Submission: scientific critique of proposals; mock NIH-style reviews; budget development and review; biographical sketch (maintain); other support (maintenance); assistance with reference software; boilerplate documentation; graphic support (table, charts, models), electronic submission and facilitation of process.
Pre and Post Award Research Management: financial management; interpretation of federal regulations and guidelines; liaison with external agencies and internal departments; assist with non-competing renewal preparation and provide certified grant administrator.

Research Facilitation Group: Link to section

In collaboration with your advisor, the SON offers consultation with the research facilitation group (RFG). These are a comprehensive, vertically integrated set of services designed to speed research development by making experts and resources readily accessible to the investigator at each phase of the research process.

Consultation Design Link to section

Mentorship
Statistical consultation
Sample size determination
Design and methods
Proposal development
Budget operationalization

Project Management Link to section

Recruitment
IRB support
Management of Information system (MIS)

Data Gathering Link to section

Interviewer training
Data collection
Focus groups

Conflict of Interest: Link to section

Students submitting grant proposals must complete a UR Conflict Disclosure Form annually. Verification of annual disclosure is made at the time of proposal sign-off by ORPA (refer to items #11, 12, and 13 UR Sign-Off Checklist). University policy, guidelines, and forms are available from the Assistant to the Associate Dean for Finance and Operations office (3W140). The University of Rochester has implemented an electronic process for the completion and submission of conflicts of interest.

All External Grant Proposals – UR Sign-Off: Link to section

The U of R sign-off form must be completed by SON faculty/students prior to the submission of any proposal for external funding. Students should contact the Center for Research Support Grants Application Coordinators for guidance in completing the sign-off forms. It is important to allow at least 48 hours for completion of this process.

Intellectual Property Agreement: Link to section

Students (graduate and undergraduate) who participate in any manner in a sponsored research project must sign an Intellectual Property Agreement (IPA) when hired or when filing for sponsor support. Students should contact the Center for Research Support Administrative Assistant (Grants Application Coordinator) for guidance in completing this form. Intellectual Property policies may be found at the following University of Rochester website.

Publications and Abstracts of Presentations: Link to section

Nursing students are encouraged to submit their writings for publication in professional journals. Manuscripts bearing identification with the UR should be discussed with a member of the faculty prior to submission. Students are required to create a persistent digital identifier, an ORCID account that will link to publications and abstracts, etc. Individual accounts are free and can be created at: https://orcid.org/

Brown Bag Seminars: Link to section

The Center for Research Support sponsors regular research forums and development sessions for the presentation and sharing of research methods, conceptualization, study design, and findings. The purpose of these forums is to enhance community collaboration about ongoing research and methodological issues as well as to enhance knowledge development in conducting research and utilizing research results. Announcements of meeting times and places appear in email communication to the SON. Faculty, doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, clinical nurses, and other interested persons are encouraged to present and attend.

Scientific Misconduct: Link to section

The academic system demands that those engaged in research are dedicated to the highest ethical standards. Misconduct in scholarship and research by any member of the university community threatens the university as well as the individual. Students are referred to the Policy on Misconduct in Scholarship and Research for guidelines concerning the process followed in response to an allegation of misconduct in scholarship and/or research or you may go to the following University of Rochester website and download the policy.

Human Subjects Procedures: Link to section

UR SON IRB Full Application/Protocol Submission Link to section

All RSRB applications submitted by SON researchers are required to have SON administrative signoff for scientific integrity as part of the submission process. This signoff is conducted within the Click® IRB system.

Please ensure that you have identified all approvals that may be required for your proposed project PRIOR TO completing the RSRB application. For projects involving the UR Medical Center, contact the appropriate Associate Director of nursing to review the feasibility and acceptability of the project. Certain projects may also require scientific review prior to RSRB review. Examples of these projects are The Cancer Center, Obstetrical, Neonatal Clinical Trials, Emergency Medicine, Institutional Biosafety, Surgical Pathology, Human Use of Radiation, Clinical Research Center, and Rochester Center for Brain Imaging.

The following individuals will be responsible for the internal reviews:

SON Faculty, Post-Doc, and Ph.D. Student Reviews: Senior Associate Dean for Research & SON Scientific Review Officer
SON DNP Student Reviews:SON Scientific Review Officer & Director of DNP Program

UR SON IRB Application and Amendment Protocol Submission Procedures Link to section

The following steps are required to complete the SON administrative sign-off:

SON Ph.D. Students & DNP Students:

SON Ph.D. Students do not have access to submit IRB applications as PIs. The application will be submitted to the designated chair or mentor. Students must contact their committee chair or mentor and collaborate closely with them prior to submission. Together, the student and committee chair will follow the submission requirements listed for SON Faculty.
SON DNP Students submitting IRB applications with minimal risk do have accessibility to submit on their own, as long as their committee chair is listed as Co-PI. If the study is greater than minimal risk, the student’s committee chair will need to be listed as PI.

*The Scientific Review for Human Subjects Research form is composed of 3 sections: Scientific Merit, Risk Identification and Management, and Investigator Qualifications/Resources. The required core elements of the first 2 sections match the required elements of the RSRB protocol template. However, the RSRB protocol template does not require the information needed to evaluate Section III of the Standards Checklist. It is therefore incumbent on the PI to include sufficient information related to Section III of the Standards Checklist within the RSRB protocol (please include the relevant information under Methods and Procedures.)

Following RSRB Approval Link to section

Please complete the following:

PI or study staff will email their program director and the Assistant to the Senior Associate Dean for Research the RSRB approval letter or confirmation email.

All Prospective study PIs will meet with the Office of Human Subjects Protection: Research Quality Improvement team for startup consultation, preferably prior to recruitment and informed consent procedures with participants. If OHSP-QI staff is not available to meet within 4 weeks after RSRB approval, please contact the SON Scientific Review Officer who can then guide the study startup. This is to ensure appropriate documents and procedures are in place to conduct the study. After this meeting, the study team will develop a comprehensive QMP for the study.

All retrospective chart reviews will meet with the SON Scientific Review Officer, to review important guidelines, documentation, and procedures for conducting ethical research. The study team will then develop a comprehensive QMP for the study.

The QMP will be submitted electronically to the designated BOX folder for review and approval by the Senior Associate Dean for Research or their designee.

A discussion of QMP can be found
Examples of comprehensive QMPs for different risk levels

Based on the study’s QMP, the internal study evaluation report will be uploaded to the BOX folder for the PI’s and Senior Associate Dean for Research review and corrective action, if applicable.

The Senior Associate Dean for Research will provide the Dean with an annual report of all QMP internal evaluations.

OHSP quality assurance audits:

Ongoing- Any routine OHSP quality assurance notifications and audit results are to be sent to the Senior Associate Dean for Research. Full board determination and any further corrective action, including all CAPA plans, should be sent to the Senior Associate Dean for Research. Finally, any sponsor audit results, serious adverse events, or OSHPrequired action for non-compliance need to be sent to the office of the Senior Associate Dean for Research.

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