American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus money and review of human subject or animal use protocols

The recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will provide opportunities for universities and other institutions to apply for research related monies from the stimulus funds. Federal agencies distributing these funds have or will be providing guidance to respond and submit applications with possible very tight turnaround times.

Unless the grant announcements say otherwise, the Just-in-time principles should apply. These procedures allow an applicant to defer certification of IRB approval of the project’s proposed use of human subjects or verification of IACUC approval of the project’s proposed use of live vertebrate animals.

I have asked the folks in Sponsored Programs to keep me informed in the event the funding agencies have requirements for a quick turn-around of compliance committee review as the distribution and the spending of funds may have to occur within a limited amount of time.