To oversee and regulate research involving human subjects, Harvard University maintains three Institutional Review Boards ("IRBs").  The Committee on Human Research Policy ("CHRP") brings together the Institutional Officials, chairs and senior administrators from Harvard's three IRBs, and faculty from Harvard's schools to seek common solutions to shared problems, to share information and views on issues of common concern in the broad domain of human subjects research oversight; and to develop harmonious, cooperative approaches where possible.

Harvard University’s Committee on Microbiological Safety (COMS) serves as the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for Harvard University and sixteen affiliated medical and research institutions. The Committee is responsible for the review and approval of research projects involving recombinant DNA (rDNA) and biological agents being conducted at or sponsored by Harvard or at any of the COMS affiliated institutions.

The Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (ESCRO) Committee provides oversight of all issues related to the derivation and research use of embryos, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines, and hESC derivatives at Harvard University. The Committee reports to the Vice Provost for Research.

EH&S provides a broad range of services to the University to promote the protection of its students, faculty and administrative staff.

The Harvard Trademark Program was established by the President and Fellows of Harvard College in order to protect Harvard’s trademarks, to regulate the products being sold under license from the University, and to generate scholarship funds from the sale of licensed goods.

Harvard is committed to complying with applicable U.S. laws and regulations pertaining to exports of items, services and technology by or on behalf of the University. The Harvard policy statement applies both to exports outside the U.S., as well as to exports to foreign nationals within the U.S.. The Vice Provost for Research (VPR) oversees Harvard’s compliance with U.S. export-control laws and regulations.  The VPR and the University’s Chief Research Compliance Officer co-chair the Harvard University Export Control Council that reviews and advises the VPR on export control issues.  Contact the Office of the Vice Provost for more information.

The Harvard University Science and Engineering Committee (HUSEC) was created by the Harvard Corporation in January 2007 to advise the University's senior leadership on all matters related to collaborative, interdisciplinary, and interschool science. HUSEC oversees, among other things, the creation and funding of new cross-school departments and initiatives and the allocation of resources for new interdisciplinary science ventures.  The committee is chaired by the Provost, and the membership includes the Deans of FAS, HMS, HSPH, and SEAS, as well as senior faculty from these schools. For more information about HUSEC, please contact Kathleen Buckley, Associate Provost for Science.

The Office of Faculty Development and Diversity (FD&D) serves as Harvard University’s central faculty affairs office. Working closely with colleagues across the University, it oversees and guides institutional policies and practices in all areas of faculty affairs, providing intellectual leadership and coordination across the Schools with the twin goals of increasing accountability and fostering measurable progress in important domains.

The OGC is responsible for all the legal work arising from the activities of Harvard’s Faculties and departments. Its mission is to render timely and thoughtful advice on the broad range of legal issues that the University, its faculty, and administrators confront on behalf of the University.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs serves as an institutional liaison office and provides programs and services for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Cambridge professional schools.

The Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP) partners with Harvard's research and scholarly community in the support and advancement of Harvard's educational, research and public service missions through the provision of superior grants management expertise and customer service.

OTD’s mission is to make the fruits of Harvard research more accessible outside the University, including underserved communities, and ensure that society benefits from Harvard innovations by fostering their swift, professional and effective development and commercialization.

The Provost's Office seeks to foster collaboration across the University and manage changes in policies and practices that affect the academic life of the university as a whole.

The Vice Provost for International Affairs seeks to promote and develop Harvard’s international activities across its Schools, foster coordination between them, oversee and review large-scale international endeavors, and set policies to establish best practices. The Vice Provost is responsible for developing and overseeing a variety of university-wide initiatives and policies relating to international research, education, and collaboration.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (VPR) has broad responsibility and oversight for the review, development, and implementation of policies related to the organization and execution of academic research, especially in the sciences, and to aspects of the University's relations with industry.

The Research Development Coordinating Committee (RDCC) was created in 2010 by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to support the research missions of Harvard University.  The committee's charge encompasses a variety of strategic and capacity building activities that help individual faculty members, teams of researchers, and research administrators to work together more effectively to identify and compete successfully for extramural funding from diverse sources. Contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Research for more information.

Harvard University has three sponsored programs offices providing oversight and grants management of sponsored research.  The Sponsored Administration Leadership Committee ("SALC") brings together the leadership of these three programs, along with the Vice Provost for Research and the University Director of Sponsored Research to discuss shared issues, concerns and matters of oversight and grants management. Contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Research for more information.

In July, 2010, the President and Fellows of Harvard College approved a University-wide "Policy on Individual Financial Conflicts of Interest for Persons Holding Faculty and Teaching Appointments".  The Policy requires each School to develop robust procedures for the review and disposition of their faculty members' mandatory annual and transactional reporting of all financial relationships, of a kind and magnitude to be determined by each School, that may be related to the faculty members' full spectrum of academic responsibilities.  The University Standing Committee on Financial Conflicts of Interest, together with the Vice Provost for Research, will be the formal instrument for overseeing the implementation plans of the various Schools.

The University Development Office (UDO) strives to maximize giving to Harvard in a manner that strengthens priority teaching and research programs across the University

For more information, contact Lisa Schwarz or Merrill Meadow.

The University Ombudsman Office is open to all Harvard University faculty, staff, fellows, students and retirees. It is an independent resource for problem resolution and works to ensure that all members of the University community are treated equitably and fairly.

The University’s Chief Research Compliance Officer works with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research in a number of efforts to enhance research compliance and policy throughout the University.  The Vice Provost and the Chief Research Compliance Officer serve as co-chairs of, among other initiatives, the Sponsored Administration Leadership Committee, the Export Control Council, the Research Development Committee, and the Responsible Conduct of Research Committee.  The Chief Research Compliance Officer works with the faculty, IRBs, IACUCs, schools, and other parts of central administration to foster and coordinate research compliance efforts, and as needed, coordinates University responses to violations of research standards. For more information, contact Mark Barnes.

The Office of Research and Planning (ORP) at SEAS works with the faculty community to help define their information and logistical needs for developing new large, multi-institutional research initiatives and grant opportunities, and to ensure that those needs are met in a timely manner. As the clearing-house for research development and policies, ORP represents the school at government and industry consortiums and responds to external requests for information. In the area of planning, ORP provides the school’s leadership team with institutional research, planning analysis, and business metrics. ORP also serves the internal community of faculty and students with infrastructure services for advanced computation, library, and scholarly information services, and as the clearing-house for research development and policies, represents the school at government and industry consortiums and responds to external requests for information. For more information, contact Joy Sircar, Associate Dean for Research and Planning & Chief Technologist.

The Research Administration Office provides comprehensive support to the SEAS scholarly community in the acquisition, administration, and management of externally sponsored research and programs.

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

The Committee on Professional Conduct advises the Dean and individual faculty members on problems involving conflicts of interest and commitment. It is also responsible for a first review of allegations of such matters as plagiarism or falsification or fabrication of data by a member of the faculty or research staff. For more information, contact Dean Gallant, Assistant Dean for Policy and Administration, or Gearoid Griffin, Research Integrity Officer.

The Committee on Research Policy is primarily responsible for advising the Dean on matters of research policy and administration, including those regarding institutional grants or program grants cutting across departmental lines and involving significant resources. For more information, contact Pat Fitzgerald, Associate Dean for Research Administration.

FAS Research Administration Services actively supports the educational mission of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences by: enhancing training; addressing emerging issues; anticipating and solving problems; improving systems in collaboration with researchers, scholars, and administrators across the FAS and throughout the University; and representing the interests of FAS researchers and administrators in discussions with University decision-makers.

Every use of vertebrate animals in research and teaching (including the use of embryos, fish, and wild caught animals, or the observation of animals in the wild) must be approved in advance by the Harvard University/Faculty of Arts and Sciences Standing Committee on the Use of Animals in Research and Teaching, Harvard’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

Navigating the world of sponsored project administration at Harvard University can be a complex undertaking. The staff of the HGSE Office of Sponsored Projects provides guidance on all aspects of the life cycle of sponsored projects. Services include:

- Advice and assistance regarding appropriate funding sources
- Project development, budget preparation, proposal review and submission
- Interpretation of university and sponsor policies
- Acting as the HGSE liaison to the Harvard University Office for Sponsored Programs (HU-OSP) and other University offices responsible for sponsored projects approvals and negotiations
- Pre- to post-award transition planning and support
- Post award management and support

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

For information about research funding, policies, support services or other issues related to HBS intellectual capital, please contact Toni Wegner, Managing Director, Research Administration and Intellectual Capital (616-496-9952).

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

RAO provides a wide range of services to support externally sponsored faculty research, outreach and training initiatives. It manages the review and approval of proposals and provides consultation for faculty and staff.

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

The Harvard Law School Library, located in Langdell Hall, is the largest academic law library in the world. The collections, which include more than 2.3 million volumes on fourteen miles of shelves, support teaching and research at the Law School, and serve as a resource for legal scholars from around the world.

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

The Harvard Faculty of Medicine established the Committee on Human Studies (also referred to as the CHS or IRB) to review research projects and activities that involve human participants, and to oversee the implementation of all policies and procedures for human studies research.

The HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows works to enhance the development and experience of the postdoctoral community by recognizing the valuable contributions of postdoctoral scholars, developing a firm foundation on which to build a comprehensive training and career development experience, encouraging individual responsibility, fostering mentoring and cultivating a sense of community.

In support of the research mission of Harvard Medical School, SPA provides specified research support services to HMS departments, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and NEPRC; compliance oversight of sponsored research activities related to these research support services; and expert advice to the faculty and departments related to these research support services.

At Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health, the Ombudsperson provides an impartial review to surface and fairly resolve problems that arise within the organizations, and to give generic upward feedback on systemic concerns to senior management.

This Standing Committee on Animals oversees experimental protocols involving animals.

The Office for Professional Standards and Integrity (OPSI) is responsible for implementing the policies adopted by the Faculty of Medicine as well as the policies and regulations promulgated by the federal government and its agencies in the areas of conflict of interest, research integrity and scientific misconduct.

The Office of Biological Safety facilitates the Committee on Microbiological Safety (COMS). COMS is a standing faculty committee that reviews all research involving recombinant DNA as well as work involving biohazards at Harvard and its 16 affiliated institutions. The Office provides the administrative support for the Committee and the technical review of COMS applications. The Office also supports the biosafety programs at these institutions by providing additional risk assessment as well as establishing policies and procedures.

The Office of Research Compliance provides independent oversight of Harvard Medical School's research compliance programs, activities and processes. The Director, who reports to the Dean of the School of Medicine, through the Dean for Faculty and Research Issues (with an additional reporting relationship to the Harvard Associate Vice President for Research Administration) is responsible for coordinating and monitoring these programs to assure that the Medical School is compliant with federal, state and local laws and regulations as well as University and HMS policies.

Introduced in October 1999 and formerly known as the Animal and Human Studies Office, ORSP is the final common pathway for all investigators seeking approval for research involving animal or human subjects. Its mission is to ensure that all research subjects are protected from harm and unnecessary discomfort while involved in a research project.

At Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health, the Ombudsperson provides an impartial review to surface and fairly resolve problems that arise within the organizations, and to give generic upward feedback on systemic concerns to senior management.

This Standing Committee on Animals oversees experimental protocols involving animals.

The Office of Human Research Administration is composed of the IRB Operations and Quality Improvement Program and is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of participants in Human Research.

The mission of OFS SPA is to provide:

• Timely and effective delivery of service to HSPH faculty
• Protection of the professional and academic rights of faculty in working with external parties
• Education of faculty and staff on regulations, policies, and procedures that affect the conduct of their research
• Contributions to the non-technical development of effective proposals
• Fair and accurate representation of faculty in administrative interactions with sponsors
• Protection of the legal and financial interests of the University and the School
• Assuring proper stewardship of sponsor funds

The CUHS, an FAS Standing Committee, reviews and has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities conducted under the auspices of the University-Area institutions. The CUHS is required to ensure that the rights and welfare of research subjects are appropriately safeguarded.

The Harvard Faculty of Medicine established the Committee on Human Studies (also referred to as the CHS or IRB) to review research projects and activities that involve human participants, and to oversee the implementation of all policies and procedures for human studies research.

The HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows works to enhance the development and experience of the postdoctoral community by recognizing the valuable contributions of postdoctoral scholars, developing a firm foundation on which to build a comprehensive training and career development experience, encouraging individual responsibility, fostering mentoring and cultivating a sense of community.

In support of the research mission of Harvard Medical School, SPA provides specified research support services to HMS departments, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and NEPRC; compliance oversight of sponsored research activities related to these research support services; and expert advice to the faculty and departments related to these research support services.

At Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health, the Ombudsperson provides an impartial review to surface and fairly resolve problems that arise within the organizations, and to give generic upward feedback on systemic concerns to senior management.

This Standing Committee on Animals oversees experimental protocols involving animals.

The Office of Research is responsible for oversight of all research activities at HSDM.