Research Integrity and Compliance
In partnership with the Saint Louis University research community, the SLU Research Integrity and Compliance Program is committed to ensuring the ethical and compliant conduct of research at or under the auspices of SLU.
The SLU Research Integrity and Compliance Program also ensures adherence to applicable federal and state laws/regulations, institutional policies, and national/international standards.
The SLU Research Integrity and Compliance program is available for ethical and regulatory consultation and general inquiries. Complete and submit this Research Integrity and Compliance Inquiry Form to request a consultation or submit an inquiry.
P.I. Research Project Toolkit
Navigating the intricacies of safety and compliance regulations, institutional policies, and procedures can be time-consuming. The "P.I. Research Project Toolkit" is a repository of tools to untangle those complexities, making it easier to achieve research project planning objectives as efficiently as possible and to start the research project.
The Research Investigator Project Planning Guide Checklist (PDF) can help navigate the offices responsible for ensuring that SLU researchers meet safety and compliance regulations.
Navigating the SLU research enterprise can be tricky, especially if you're new or you've worked at another research institution. This site makes navigating this process easier and prepares research staff for the necessary levels of oversight needed to conduct human subjects research at SLU.
The site defines the components of the SLU research machine and describes important steps, considerations and tips for navigating the SLU research enterprise.
Please note: This site is internal, so you must log in to your SLU Google account to access it. You can do this by logging into MySLU or (when prompted after clicking the link) using your MySLU username (called a SLU NetID) followed by @slu.edu and your MySLU password.
Open Requests for Comments
This is the beta version of the New to SLU Research Site. We seek your comments and
feedback to improve the site. Please submit any comments or feedback.
It is essential for the principal investigator (PI) to provide advanced notice when planning to end their research at SLU. Please refer to the document titled "Are you Bidding Adieu to SLU?" as a resource, along with other offboarding guidance provided elsewhere.
See also Principal Investigator (PI) Exit & Research Laboratory Decommissioning Policy and Laboratory Decommissioning Procedures Checklist.
This site will be updated with new tools and resources. Check regularly for updates.
Areas of Oversight
Human Research Protections Program
SLU maintains a dedicated Human Research Protections Program, or HRBB, to protect human subjects participating in research. Central to the HRPP are the SLU Institutional Review Boards, or IRB. An IRB is an ethics committee composed of scientists and nonscientists who advocate for human subjects in research.
SLU has three IRBs: two that meet routinely and one that meets on an ad hoc basis. They review all research involving human subjects for compliance with federally mandated research guidelines.
For more information, please visit our IRB website or contact the SLU IRB at irb@slu.edu.
Animal Care and Use Program
SLU maintains an Animal Care and Use Program to oversee the responsible and ethical use of animals for research purposes. The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) accredits the SLU Animal Care and Use Program.
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC, a committee of faculty, animal welfare experts and community members, is central to the protection and responsible use of laboratory animals at SLU.
For more information, please visit our IACUC page or contact the IACUC at iacuc@slu.edu.
Environmental Health and Safety, Biosafety, Radiation Safety
The SLU Environmental Health and Safety service oversees policies and best practices for managing environmental, health, and safety issues and laboratory-based research for the SLU research community.
EHS ensures compliance with complex regulations and assures the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. EHS provides resources on basic fire and life safety, general workplace safety, biological safety, chemical safety, radiation safety, and hazardous materials removal and disposal.
Individual Outside Interests
SLU is committed to the responsible and ethical conduct of research. As such, SLU maintains an Individual Outside Interests Policy and Committee to promote objectivity and to eliminate any potential perception of bias in the conduct of research.
This policy is available via PolicyStat and applies to all investigators and research personnel responsible for designing, conducting, or reporting externally sponsored research. The Individual Outside Interests Committee (IOIC) determines whether a researcher’s outside interest could directly or indirectly impact the design, conduct or reporting of the investigator’s research. If such a conflict exists, the IOIC will cooperate with the investigator to develop and implement an appropriate management plan.
For more information, visit our Conflict of Interest website or contact the Individual Outside Interests team at coi@slu.edu.
Export Controls and Foreign Influence
SLU is responsible for complying with the U.S. Department of Commerce and Department of State when research technologies or innovations are of interest to national security, foreign policy and economics. U.S. regulations regarding export controls can greatly impact research and the potential for collaborations. Visit the SLU Office of University Compliance and Ethics website to learn more.
While SLU strongly supports international collaboration and values its partnerships with universities and other organizations worldwide, it is important that all members of the research community understand the regulatory and enforcement landscape.
Foreign governments’ active recruitment of scholars into “foreign talent (recruitment) programs” and their attempts to influence nationals of their country (and supported nationals of other countries) to misappropriate federally funded research results and intellectual property from U.S. institutions of higher education are of particular concern. These efforts threaten the integrity of university research by undermining the foundational principles and values upon which it's based.
SLU believes that the disclosure of such attempts or relationships is a critical step in the research integrity process.
For more information, contact Michael Reeves in the University Compliance Office at michael.reeves@slu.edu or the OVPR Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at oric@health.slu.edu.
Responsible Conduct of Research
SLU is committed to a culture and expectation of responsible and ethical conduct of research. This is a critical component in the advancement of knowledge through research and scholarship and is central to our goal of maintaining public trust in the research enterprise. Given that ethical issues emerge when conducting research and scholarship across disciplines of all kinds, SLU is committed to providing high-quality instruction in the responsible conduct of research to the entire campus community.
As such, the SLU Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program is designed to provide a flexible means of fulfilling training requirements set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
Occupational Health Program
The SLU Occupational Health Program seeks to ensure the health and safety of university employees, students, and support staff. Program staff provide information and support to persons working in the research environment, including animal care and use and biosafety-related research. The goals of the program are to prevent injury or disease from hazards in the workplace.