Committee Review
Research conducted at Hackensack Meridian Health may require oversight from certain research committees, depending on the nature of the research.
Research conducted at Hackensack Meridian Health may require oversight from certain research committees, depending on the nature of the research.
The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is responsible for ensuring the ethical and equitable treatment of all human subjects in research conducted under its auspices.
The mission is to:
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews human subjects research studies and determines whether the studies are consistent with the principles of the Belmont Report and with relevant regulations and guidelines. The time and process of the review depends on the nature of the study submitted. Once the investigator submits his or her study, it is determined to be either exempt, expedited, or subject to a convened committee review. It is then forwarded to the appropriate reviewer(s) for consideration. The investigator is contacted once a determination is made regarding the study’s approval status.
The Human Research Protection Program policies and practices can be accessed via the HRPP (IRB) SOPS.
The IRB generally meets the first and third Wednesday of each month with submission one month prior to the meeting.
Our program is fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).
For more information, please contact 201-880-3669 or hmhirb@hmhn.org.
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is charged with overseeing Hackensack Meridian Health’s animal program, facilities, and procedures. The committee is composed of at least 5 members, including a veterinarian, a scientist with experience in animal research, a non-scientist, and a lay person of the community not affiliated with the institution, except as a member of the IACUC.
The IACUC:
Anyone interested in conducting research with animals should contact the IACUC Office at iacuc@hmhn.org.
Here are some important IACUC deadlines and meeting dates:
The IACUC Education Schedule can be found here.
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews all protocols utilizing recombinant DNA and/or Biosafety Level 3 biohazardous agents in both human and animal research. Approval from the IBC is required prior to submission to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC).
The objective of the IBC is to assure compliance with the National Institutes of Health-Office of Biotechnology Activities (NIH-OBA) regulations in the conduct of research involving recombinant DNA and other biological hazardous material.
Biosafety training for researchers and staff involved in clinical trial studies is located on the Hackensack Meridian Health CITI training system. For pre-clinical researchers, training is provided via in-classroom sessions and online supplementary materials provided by the Office of Biological Safety.
The committee meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month, as needed.
Before commencing work with any of the following agents, any components thereof, or any attenuated strains, researchers must contact Sean Fitzgerald, Network Biosafety Officer, at sean.fitzgerald@hmhn.org or at 201-880-3661. He will need information about the intended agent and project and will provide guidance on what conditions must be in place to begin this type of work and whether a submission to the Dual Use Research of Concern Committee is required.