Offices at UVA supporting research


Summary and quick links

School of Medicine offices
       Office of Grants and Contracts
       Office for Research
       Clinical Trials Office
       Graduate Programs Office
       Claude Moore Health Sciences Library
       General Clinical Research Center
       Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
       Clinical Data Repository

University offices
       Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
       Office of Sponsored Programs
       Human Resources
       Procurement Services
       Institutional Biosafety Committee
       International Studies Office (visas)
       Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)
       Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Investigational Drug Service (Medical Center)

Information technology offices

Facilities management offices

School of Medicine offices

  • Office of Grants and Contracts.  Supports investigators in pre- and post-award activities associated with sponsored research, including investigator and institutional compliance with funding agency regulations.  The office: 
    • Assists faculty and research administrators in the development and submission of grant and contract proposals
    • Negotiates and executes research contracts and clinical trials, confidentiality, and materials transfer agreements
    • Is the institutional point of contact with the funding agency after the award has been made (e.g., changes in work scope, renewals, close-out reports)

  • Office for Research (OFR).  Supports and promotes all research activities within the SOM and facilitates research cooperation within the school and with other schools at UVA.  Among the responsibilities of the OFR are:
  • Clinical Trials Office.  The CTO supports clinical trials in several areas:  preparation of clinical trials proposals, forms, and budgets; study coordination; eductation in GCP; data management; quality control; and monitoring after study initiation.

  • Graduate Programs Office.  The GPO supports training programs for graduate students and conducts the Summer Research Internship Program for college juniors and seniors pursuing careers in biomedical research.  The office maintains documents and databases that are helpful in the preparation of training grant proposals.  The GPO maintains the Research Faculty Directory, a searchable resource containing all UVA faculty who are members of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Programs and many others.  If you are interested in listing a page in this directory, contact the GPO at 924-2181.

  • General Clinical Research Center (GCRC).  This is an NIH-supported resource for the design, conduct, and analysis of inpatient and outpatient clinical studies.  Investigators interested in performing research in the GCRC must submit a protocol to both the IRB-HSR (see below) and the GCRC Advisory Committee.  GCRC funds can defray the cost of part or all of certain clinical research studies.

  • Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology.  This group is comprised of PhD and Master's level statisticians in the Department of Public Health Sciences, who can assist in the preparation of grant proposals (i.e., power/sample size analyses, measurement, analytic design) and participate as collaborators on research projects.
  • Clinical Data Repository (CDR).  The CDR is a collection of data from the UVA Health System that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Sciences in collaboration with the Medical Center, as a resource for use by authorized investigators.  Patient identifiers are encrypted or omitted to protect patient confidentiality.

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University offices

  • Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies.  This office oversees the following activities and functions:  research compliance; enhancement of research (e.g., development of new buildings on Grounds and at the Research Parks and internal funding for facilities, projects, and equipment); management and development of intellectual property (in conjunction with the UVA Patent Foundation); UVA Postdoctoral Office; and graduate studies.

  • Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP).  The institutional grants and contracts office at UVA is located in Carruthers Hall (across from Barracks Road Shopping Center).  For SOM investigators, many OSP functions have been transferred to the Office of Grants and Contract Administration (see below).  OSP creates internal accounts and conducts post-award management functions on SOM awards.  It also carries out training and compliance activities (e.g., monitoring federal Cost Accounting Standards).

  • Human Resources (HR).  This office oversees all human resource functions at the University, including creating and revising job categories and pay bands, processing of newly-created positions for departments, acting as a central point for job applications, working with departments to create and staff open positions, benefits, career consulting, etc.  Faculty work with HR via their local research administrator to create and advertise positions, request applications, and to interview and select candidates.

  • Procurement Services.  This office generates University contracts for commonly-purchased items (e.g., office and lab supplies) as well as RFPs for large purchases such as research equipment.  It manages the University Purchasing Card Program and the on-line ordering system.  Procurement also manages travel arrangements and reimbursements.  Investigators and staff usually work through their local administrators when dealing with Procurement.

  • Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews University research and teaching activities that involve the use of biological agents:  microorganisms, recombinant DNA (per NIH Guidelines), materials derived from human and non-human primates, or biological toxins.  Principal Investigators must register with the IBC to declare the hazard potential of the agents manipulated in their laboratories.

  • International Studies Office (ISO).  The ISO administers the International Students and Scholars Program - helping departments, students, and scholars move through the visa process, and welcoming and easing the transition of foreign visitors upon their arrival in Charlottesville.  Individuals hiring or inviting a visiting foreign national to UVA should work with their local administrator and Ms. Jean Snoddy in the Dean's Finance Office, who work in turn with the ISO.  Host foreign visitors who are paid by their home institutions are considered "volunteers:"  you or your administrator should submit a SOM Volunteer Agreement (UVA intranet; document 2.300b) to the SOM Office for Research prior to the volunteer's arrival.

  • Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).  Two University committees oversee the protection of human subjects:
    • The IRB for Health Sciences Research (IRB-HSR) oversees research involving medically invasive procedures, and is the committee that reviews the majority of SOM human protocols.  IRB-HSR offices are located at Morton Drive; a drop box is maintained on the fourth floor of Barringer, for hard-copy communications.
    • The IRB for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-SBS) reviews protocols such as epidemiologic surveys.  The IRB-SBS also is located at Morton Drive.

    Note concerning NIH proposals:  for many funding mechanisms, IRB approval is not required prior to submitting an application, but rather prior to the onset of the award.

  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC).  The committee is responsible for the review of all animal research protocols.  Committee staff:  assists in proposal preparation; performs training activities; assures compliance with occupational health and safety requirements for individuals working with animals; and inspects facilities where animals are being housed.  Many protocols must be pre-reviewed by Dr. Patricia Foley, who helps increase the likelihood of their approval by the entire committee.  The ACUC works with the Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM), which maintains AAALAC-approved vivaria and oversees the ordering, shipment, quarantine, and care of laboratory animals for the University. 

Note concerning NIH proposals:  for many funding mechanisms, ACUC approval is not required prior to submitting an application, but rather prior to the onset of the award.

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Medical Center Investigational Drug Service (IDS; UVA intranet). 

The IDS provides a wide array of services in support of clinical trials, including study design, randomization, storage, preparation, and blinding of drugs, inventory control, etc.

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Information technology offices

Computer networks for most SOM departments are maintained by one of the following offices.  Your local administrator can tell you who is responsible for your computer network, and how to obtain help with desktop and connectivity problems.

  • UVA Information Technology & Communication is the University-level office that supports University administrative offices (e.g., HR, Procurement), develops and oversees security policies, maintains network servers, phone services, offers site-licensed software, and so on.  Contact their help desk on-line or by phone at 924-3731.

  • Health System Computing Services (HS/CS) supports the Medical Center (e.g., billing, laboratories, radiology services) and SOM, School of Nursing, and Health Sciences Library.  The HS/CS help desk can be contacted on-line or by phone at 924-5334.

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Facilities management offices

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