Collaboration in Research [1]
University of Oregon researchers often engage in collaborative research with individuals and organizations external to the UO. In many circumstances, agreements between collaborators are necessary and must be in place before research with human subjects may begin. The page provides guidance on the most common agreements used in collaborative research and links to additional resources.
Principal Investigators are reminded of their responsibilities as outlined in the Investigator Agreement [2] and which extend to collaborative research activities.
IRB Authorization Agreements (IAA)
When more than one institution with an established Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) and an Institutional Review Board (IRB) collaborate in research, an agreement may be established to designate one IRB to serve as the IRB of record for the research. An investigator may pursue an IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) by completing and submitting the IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) Request Form [3] and supporting materials to Research Compliance Services.
Individual Investigator Agreement (IIA)
When a non-UO individual is engaged in the human subject research and their work is not performed as an agent of an institution with an established Federal Wide Assurance (FWA), it may be necessary to establish an Individual Investigator Agreement (IIA) [4]. This form needs to be included with the initial protocol submission or an amendment request if an individual is being added to an existing protocol.
Other Collaborations
Other agreements entered into as part of collaborative research such as Memos of Understanding (MOUs) and Data Use Agreements (DUAs) are common. These agreements can include parameters for the conduct of research relevant to human subjects research and permission for use of data and/or specimens and may need to be considered as part of the IRB review. These may require consultation with UO Innovation Partnership Services [5].