Expert-led Open Research Office presentations return on September 27

From instructional videos to focused workshops, the University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) shares a diverse selection of educational content with researchers. One example is the CTSI’s Open Research Office sessions, featuring expert guest speakers presenting on topics relevant to biomedical scientists and research coordinators.

Each Open Research Office features a live session, which is recorded and then shared on the CTSI website and in a playlist on the CTSI YouTube page. During the live session, attendees can ask questions, bring up concerns, and discuss ideas.

After a brief summer break, the series is set to return at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 27, with “Pathways to IRB Review.” Zachary Chakan, IRB Administrator, Office of Research Compliance, will outline the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Register here to attend the virtual session.

“Open Research Office is truly an interactive presentation,” explains CTSI Associate Director Sanjay Sethi, MD, Professor and Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, and Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and have a real dialogue with the presenter. And by recording the Zoom sessions, the videos can be watched again or experienced for the first time.”

Chakan says the September 27 session will cover the who, what, where, and when of a Click submission after it is sent to the IRB; the Pre-Review process for all types of submissions; the IRB workflow for Exempt, Expedited, and Full Board level studies; and typical timelines to approval along with some tips and suggestions for special cases.

“The hope is that this presentation will aid in researchers’ understanding of the IRB process from submission to approval in Click,” Chakan explains. “The Open Research Office format encourages both general and specific questions to be addressed in this basic overview of the submission and review workflow.”

Recent sessions covered such topics as clinical research budgets; TriNetX, a clinical patient database that allows users to access electronic medical records to assess study feasibility and enhance study recruitment; Community Engagement Studios, which use a structured approach to bring together researchers and members of the community for a bidirectional conversation to improve the development and planning of research studies; and OnCore, the comprehensive management system designed to enhance the clinical research process.

Future sessions may cover topics such as contracts and agreements; accounts receivable; protocol development and regulatory guidance; and Click support.

In addition to the Open Research Office sessions, the CTSI offers a series of instructional videos called Educational Modules (outlined in a recent article) and Core Competency Workshops. Suggestions for new topics can be sent to UB CTSI Clinical Research Facilitators Alexis O’Brien​ and Marchelle Brooks, MPH, at ctsihelp@buffalo.edu​.