The University of California (UC), Office of the President is proposing revisions to the Presidential Policy on Protection of Human Subjects in Research. The proposed policy describes the responsibilities of the UC, its campuses and researchers, in protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects who participate in research at UC.

A list of some of the significant revisions to the policy are listed:

• An explanation of the ethical principles that the university follows for human subjects research.
• A statement that the university’s commitment to human subjects applies to all human subjects research in which the university is engaged, regardless of funding source or the institution that provided the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review.
• An explanation that campuses may replace specific Common Rule requirements with commensurate protections for human subjects when the university is engaged in research that is not subject to the Common Rule (e.g., research that is not federally-funded or otherwise subject to federal oversight).
• A description of the responsibilities of the campuses, IRBs, other oversight offices and committees, and researchers for compliance with this policy.

The proposed policy revises the current Protection of Human Subjects in Research policy, last updated in 1981. The current Presidential Policy on Protection of Human Subjects in Research policy is available online. A redline version of the proposed policy is attached for review and comment.

Employees covered by this policy who wish to provide comments on the proposed revisions may send an email to hrpolicy@ucr.edu by Monday, June 1, 2020.