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Our mission is to assist Mass General investigators in considering and resolving ethical and IRB review issues and to work to improve the quality of IRB submissions.

Consultation Service

  • Guidance in planning and conducting human subjects research
  • Assistance before, during and after regulatory review to address issues and discuss practical solutions

Examples of Service

  • The consent process
  • Appropriate and effective recruitment plans
  • Confidentiality or handling sensitive information
  • Disclosure of findings or results
  • Enrollment of vulnerable subjects
  • Using the Partners QI checklist and delineating care/research activities
  • IRB review of survey/interview methods
  • Digital health/social Media uses
  • Risk/benefit assessment and study design (e.g. mitigating risks)
  • Best practices in IRB applications, communications and responses to review

Education and Other Activities

  • Work with DCR's Center for Clinical Research Education to supplement curriculum with offerings related to bioethics and pragmatic advice
  • Liaison with IRB to stay up to date on new policies and procedures and to share investigator needs