Animal Care and Use Program
All studies involving animals requires review by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) within the Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP). This program is run by our colleagues at VUMC and Research Integrity and Compliance serves as the University point of contact for this service.
Sponsored Programs Administration
Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), in conjunction with department grant managers, assists pre-award administration of externally sponsored programs and ensures compliance with sponsor regulations. SPA processes proposals and negotiates grants, contracts, and other agreements, such as data use agreements. Proposals and awards are managed through Vanderbilt Electronic Research Administration (VERA).
Environmental Health and Safety
The Vanderbilt University Environmental Health and Safety Department (VU EHS) promotes safety and compliance for research involving chemicals, biological material, radiation, or lasers. VU EHS can help you set up and manage your lab safely, determine what training is appropriate for your research group, and assist you with required approvals through the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and Radiation Safety Committee (RSC).
Conflicts of Interest and Commitment
Conflicts of interest and commitment include financial, profession, or other personal consideration that may impact, or give the appearance of impacting, one’s responsibilities at the university. The Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management operates the annual disclosure process and coordinates remedies for identified conflicts.
Responsible Conduct of Research
Responsible conduct of research (RCR), also known as responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR), is the practice of research that is ethical, honest, trustworthy, reliable, accountable, and adheres to professional norms. For graduate students and postdocs, training is co-managed by the Graduate School and each researcher’s primary school or department. For faculty and other senior personnel impacted by the new NSF policy, Research Integrity & Compliance will provide training.
Controlled Substances
For animal research involving controlled substances, such as addictive drugs, please work with the VUMC Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP). All other research involving controlled substances is supported by the Vanderbilt Police Department.
The Office of Cybersecurity
Data should be protected according to its level of sensitivity. The Office of Cybersecurity educates the VU community on information security principles and best practices, assesses cybersecurity compliance with federal or contractual requirements, and guides researcher to securely store, transfer, and destroy data.