Division of Research

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is committed to setting the highest standards of quality research and continued success at Florida International University by:

• Developing, implementing, and evaluating operational policies and procedures related to human subject protection, animal welfare, research safety, and research misconduct;
• Educating and training researchers in the responsible conduct of research and research compliance, and
• Working with other appropriate federal offices to provide guidance on policies and procedures related to the integrity of research conducted at FIU.

1. Human Subject Protection: If your research involves human subjects, you will need to review the steps necessary to obtain approval for your research from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee.  You can access online manual, forms, frequently asked questions, online training, additional resources, and contact information to help assist you with the IRB approval process.
2. Animal Welfare Protection: If your research involves animals, you will need to review the steps necessary to obtain approval for your research from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).  You can access policies, forms, additional resources, and contact information to help you with the IACUC approval process.
3. Recombinant DNA Research: If your research involves recombinant DNA (rDNA), you will need to review the steps necessary to obtain approval for your research from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).  You can access policies, forms, additional resources, and contact information to help you with the IBC approval process.
4. Responsible Conduct of Research: ORI promotes the responsible conduct of research with high standards of ethics and accountability in planning, implementation, behavior, and information dissemination.  FIU utilizes the CITI Online Training website as a resource to facilitate information to faculty, staff, and students in an online format.  In addition, continuing education workshops are offered periodically throughout the year.
5. Animal Care Facility: ORI works closely with the Animal Care Facility to provide care to the animals involved in the research. This care includes food, water, bedding and clean cages, as well as health monitoring, facility maintenance, and the administration of the animal care program.  In addition, the ORI staff processes all animal orders. There is a per diem cost to house animals in the facility (mice, rats, and rabbits).
6. Export Controls: It is essential that all proper documentation is in place when faculty and staff engage in various research activities overseas. These activities include, but are not limited to, attending conferences abroad, entering into academic agreements for services, agreements to do research or agreements to provide goods outside the U.S., making payments to foreign entities or individuals, setting up overseas programs, and co-publishing scholarly articles with foreign colleagues.
7. Research Misconduct: ORI facilitates the responsible conduct of research (RCR) through online training and educational workshops that will promote regulatory and preventive measures in conducting research ethically. Please join our listserv to be notified of future workshops.
8. Conflict of Interest: ORI requests that any University employee with a potential or actual conflict of interest (COI) in relation to a research project, reports such activity to ORI for review prior to engaging in such activity.