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Research Activities Performed at or with Other Institutions or Organizations

Background

All research activities performed by, or under the direction of, UC Merced faculty or staff members or students in the course and scope of university duties, or which use university resources, must comply with applicable UC Merced policies and procedures, regardless of funding and whether performed in UC Merced facilities or off-site.

Requirements for Approval of Off-site Research

Any human-subject research conducted, in whole or in part, at an off-site location (including K-12 schools), must be reviewed and approved/registered by all applicable UC Merced entities, including the IRB, before initiation if it satisfies any of the following criteria:

  • It is conducted by or under the direction of UC Merced faculty or staff members or students in connection with their UC Merced responsibilities; 
  • The research uses UC Merced property, facilities or resources to support or carry out the research;
  • The name of the University of California, Merced, is used in applying for funds (intra or extramural);
  • The name of the University of California, Merced, is used in explanations and/or representations to subjects;
  • The investigator plans to use his/her University of California, Merced, association in any publication or public presentation resulting from the research;
  • UC Merced's non-public information will be used to identify or contact human-research subjects or prospective subjects

The UC Merced IRB may approve/register human-subject research that is proposed to occur at or in collaboration with off-site locations when appropriate documentation demonstrating the support and collaboration of the off-site location(s) and compliance with federal requirements is provided.

Required Documentation

Proposed human-subject research that is to occur off-site requires IRB approval/registration before initiation and upon renewal of any off-site human-subject research activity performed by, or under the direction of, UC Merced faculty or staff members or students.

Required documentation in IRB applications includes, but is not limited to:

  • Approval from the off-site institution or organization before the initiation of any human-subject research begins;
  • Evidence of IRB approval and a copy of the consent form (if applicable) from the off-site institution or organization. If the institution or organization has no IRB, permission from the off-site location's equivalent entity may be accepted. If the off-site institution or organization has no equivalent entity, a letter of permission or collaboration from an authorized institutional official may be accepted. Please note in the case of K-12 schools, the institutional official must be a superintendent or designee of the school district. Please view an example of the letter of permission here. If you choose to not use the sample permission letter, any permission letter from an off-site institution or organization must contain equivalent information.
  • Research agreements between UC Merced and another institutions or organizations may also be needed. The UC Merced Sponsored Projects Office negotiates and sets up all research agreements between UC Merced and other entities. Please contact the Sponsored Projects Office via email for more information.

Please contact Danielle Dai're at ddaire@ucmerced.edu for more information.

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