Sometimes we think these regulations and requirements are all just too much. And then we read something like this, and think to ourselves, “Thank goodness we take steps to minimize the chance that this happens here!” (With the tiniest hint of “There but for the grace of the research gods go we” mixed in.)
In summary, the University of Illinois Chicago found itself on the receiving end of a National Institute of Mental Health letter reporting an “adverse determination” and demanding repayment of federal funds due to problems noted in research involving children. The NIMH’s letter spreads the blame around between the UIC IRB (which is, like the UAMS IRB, AAHRPP accredited, we note) and the PI in question. The bottom line is a lot of bad publicity and having to repay $3 million in federal funds within 30 days. The “Um, we need $3 million really fast” conversation with institution officials just can’t be a fun one to undertake.