Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Welcome to the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance

Welcome to the ORARC website. Click on our "About Us" page to learn more about ORARC and its broad research compliance scope.
COVID-19 FAQs relating to Human Subjects Research
Harvard Longwood Medical Area Schools participating in SMART IRB

Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are participating institutions of SMARTIRB, a master agreement and online platform facilitating reliance.
New NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing

NIH has published a new Policy for Data Management and Sharing, which will go into effect for all competing applications submitted to the NIH on or after January 25, 2023. The new policy will require a data management and sharing plan for all NIH-funded projects, which is an expansion from the current requirement for projects over $500,000 in annual direct costs.
Countway Library is offering 30 minute Data Plan Training webinars and classes covering everything from the policy itself to writing a data sharing plan: https://countway.harvard.edu/services/publishing-data-services/data-services
In addition, visit NIH scientific data sharing website (https://sharing.nih.gov/) for further information, resources, and training opportunities.

Welcome to the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance

Our mission is to ensure the quality and integrity of research conducted at the Harvard Chan School. This is accomplished through education and monitoring of research studies in order to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations as well as institutional policies. Learn more about ORARC here.

Harvard Longwood Campus IRB (HLC IRB)

The HLC IRB is charged with the review and continuing oversight of human subjects research conducted by Harvard LMA Schools (HMS, HSDM, HSPH) faculty, staff, and students.

Harvard Longwood Campus QIP (HLC QIP)

The HLC Quality Improvement Program (HLC QIP) works independently, but complementary to the HLC IRB, to facilitate the IRB review and approval process. HLC QIP consists of three distinct units: Compliance, Education, and Human Research Support.

Research Integrity at Harvard Chan School

ORARC is committed to advancing a culture of compliance and scientific integrity among its investigators, postdoctoral fellows, research staff, and research administrators.

Lab and Biosafety at Harvard T.H. Chan School

ORARC, in conjunction with the Laboratory and Biological Safety Focus Forum (LBFF) and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), is committed to providing on-going support and education to the Harvard Chan School research community.

Education and Training

Learn more about ORARC’s training and education opportunities, including how to satisfy the requirement for human subjects training.