Preparing Proposals: Compliance Requirements

Find information and links on approvals researchers need to obtain prior to beginning research.

• PI Eligibility: Not all employees of the university are eligible to serve as Principal Investigator on contracts and grants. Find out which employee job titles (appointment titles) are automatically eligible and which titles are not eligible for the PI Exception request process.
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Office: IACUC oversees the university's animal care and use program and is responsible for reviewing all animal use protocols, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, inspecting animal facilities and laboratories, and overseeing training and educational programs.
• Human Research Protections Program (HRPP): HRPP is responsible for reviewing research protocols involving human subjects, human specimens, and related data and evaluating risk and protection against risk for subjects. 
• Patient Privacy: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes national standards for the privacy and security of health information. 
• Stem Cells: The Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee (ESCRO) reviews research protocols involving stem cells to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.
• Export Control: Export Control identifies and manages export risks and provides export licenses in support of the research activities of university faculty, staff, and students.
• Conflict of Interest (COI): COI ensures campus compliance with UC policy, State law, and federal regulations and provides expertise to avoid conflicts of interest so that the best interests of the public and the University are served.
• Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S): EH&S provides a number of services including resources for managing Controlled Substances and Research Safety for research and laboratories along with the Laboratory Safety Manual for policies, procedures, and resources for campus research and teaching laboratories.
• Gifts vs. Grants: Find out how to determine if an award should be considered a gift or a grant.
• Compliance Overview: Links to research compliance offices.
• International/Foreign research collaborations at UC San Diego: Learn about anticipating and working with foreign/international sponsors and collaborators, including federal regulations associated with such collaborations.
• Data Management Plan: All National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals must contain a Data Management Plan or document stating that no data will be collected.
• Scientific Diving: For information on scientific diving for research projects.
• Ship Use: For more information on the use of scientific research vessels and boats.