Compliance
When submitting a proposal or accepting an award, you as the investigator as well
as TROY (as the fiscal agent), are committing to a number of assurances, certifications,
terms, and conditions. It is very important that the investigator understand these
compliance issues before submission and before an award is made. Below is information
regarding a number of common compliance concerns that the investigator should be aware
of, including those handled internally, such as the protection of human/animal subjects.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Research Involving Human Subjects
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is comprised of TROY faculty and external representatives who review proposed research studies involving human subjects.
The IRB ensures that the basic rights and welfare of research participants are fostered and protected. The IRB supports researchers through its coordinated activities in education, regulatory compliance oversight, and post approval monitoring. All research involving human subjects performed at TROY and/or by TROY students, staff, and/or faculty must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to beginning the research.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Research Involving the Use of Animals
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the use of animals for research, teaching, and testing conducted at or by TROY. The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare defines an animal as any live, vertebrate animal used or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, or biological testing or for related purposes. If your research includes live vertebrae animals please contact Dr. Sig Harden or Dr. Brian Helms for up to date procedures for approval.
Responsible Conduct of Research
Troy University is committed to creating a research climate that promotes faithful adherence to high ethical standards in the conduct of research and scholarships without inhibiting the productivity and creativity of persons involved in research. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training plans are required by both NSF and NIH as well as USDA. Troy University has selected the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training to meet federal requirements in RCR. The CITI online courses are designed for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who have an interest or focus in the research areas targeted by federal support and serve to satisfy federal regulations that require RCR training as a part of grant. The modules contain information about responsible conduct in research, case studies and quizzes related to each of the areas.
Research guidance and training resources
Data Management Plans
Some funders now require that researchers supplement their grant proposals with a Data Management Plan (DMP). DMPs are short, formal documents that outline, at the onset of a new project, how you will handle your data both during your research and after the project is completed. They help to ensure that, in the present, your data are collected and analyzed in an intelligent and sustainable way, and that your data are able to be shared and preserved for future use and re-use.
Data often have a longer lifespan than the research project that creates them. Researchers may continue to work on data after funding has ceased, follow-up projects may analyze or add to the data and data may be re-used by other researchers. Well organized, well documented, preserved and shared data are invaluable to advance scientific inquiry and to increase opportunities for learning and innovation. TROY federal partnerships with data must comply with all grantor, federal, state and local policies.
Export Controls
The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce regulate technology and/or information that is export-controlled under either the State Department's International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulation (EAR). Export controlled technology and/or information includes activities, items, and information related to the design, development, engineering, manufacture, production, assembly, testing, repair, maintenance, operation, modification, demilitarization, destruction, processing, or use of items with a capacity for military operations. Usually this does not include basic marketing information on function or purpose; general system description, or information concerning general scientific, mathematical, or engineering principles commonly taught in schools, colleges, and universities or information in the public domain.
Under ITAR and EAR regulations it is unlawful to send or take export-controlled technology
and/or information out the United States; disclose orally or visually, or transfer
export- controlled technology and/or information to the foreign person inside or outside
the United States without proper authorization. A license may be required for foreign nationals to access export-controlled technology and/or
information. A foreign national is a person who is not a U. S. citizen or permanent
resident alien of the United States, and makes no exceptions for foreign students. Questions regarding export controls should be directed to Troy Purchasing or Dr. Greg Price.
Jeanne Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. The Clery Act was originally enacted by the Congress and signed into law by President George Bush in 1990 as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990. The name later was renamed in honor of Jeanne Clery, a student murdered in 1986 at Lehigh University. Schools have to publish an annual report every year by October 1st that contains 3 years worth of campus crime statistics and certain security policy statements including sexual assault policies which assure basic victims’ rights, the law enforcement authority of campus police and where students should go to report crimes. Below are the most recent statistics for Troy University.
Conflict of Interest (COI)
Conflict of Interest occurs when it is determined that an investigator has a significant
financial interest that could directly and significantly affect the design, conduct,
or reporting of external funds for research or education activities. The purpose of
completing the COI disclosure form is to communicate all significant financial interests
that are held personally (or by a spouse or dependent) that would reasonably appear
to be affected by the research or educational activities funded (or proposed for funding)
by a federal agency. Appearance is as important as reality where conflict of interest
are concerned, so disclosing conflicts of interest is important. Disclosing a potential
conflict of interest does not mean an actual conflict exists, but it could help eliminate
the perception.
Training
Troy, in conjunction with CITI, has developed a web-based module in order to comply with this requirement. All recipients applying for federal funding (PIs and Independent Investigators described on the transmittal) must complete the initial training and COI disclosure form. Training must be completed prior to submitting your proposal.
To complete online training, users need to register at the CITI Program site and affiliate their profile with Troy University. Please visit the following link to get started and complete the registration process: CITI - Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (citiprogram.org) The Conflicts of Interest (Basic Course) training module should take 15-20 minutes to complete. Contact the Office of Sponsored Programs at osp@troy.edu or (334) 808-6181 if you require assistance. Once you have completed the training and the COI disclosure form, email both documents to osp@troy.edu.