Research Staff Profile -- Hilary Woodcock

Progress and Improvements in Research Compliance

The position of Research Compliance Coordinator was created three and a half years ago as a result of staff restructuring in the Office of Research Affairs and the growing demands on the campus to comply with tighter federal oversight of research using living subjects. Hilary Woodcock stepped up to the challenge of a new position and has been working to make the compliance process more effective, while trying not to add to the already heavy reporting burden of our researchers.

As Research Compliance Coordinator, Hilary provides coordination services for many research compliance activities on campus and administers oversight of the animal use program. She publishes Compliance News three times a year which provides up-to-date news in the arena of research compliance. Hilary also sits on compliance oversight committees that include the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), the IRB (Institutional Review Board for projects using human subjects), the Radiation Use Committee, and the Institutional Chemical Safety Committee. Since Hilary attends all of these oversight committee meetings, she is able to act as a liaison between different compliance areas and coordinate reviews. She noted, "We have quite a few animal use protocols that require ensuring compliance in multiple areas - animal use needing biosafety and/or radiation safety review is a common combination--and I make sure that these reviews are coordinated."

Hilary came to campus in 1972 and worked for many years in the Biology Department as a Research Associate. Her projects included bacterial population biology, movement of ions across cell membranes, and chromatin structure in chicken erythrocyte nuclei. In 1985 she went back to graduate school in the Department of Natural Resources Conservation to get her Ph.D. Before taking up an administrative role as Research Compliance Coordinator, she conducted research on the impact of disease on forest tree populations and worked for the Molecular and Cellular Graduate Program on special projects involving recruiting and publicity. As a former researcher, Hilary is sympathetic to the demands placed on PIs with regards to compliance. One of the first things she did when hired was canvas the faculty to find out how to make the compliance process better for them. "One of the major complaints was the slowness of the system," noted Hilary. "There was not a good organizational structure to ensure that the project submitted for review would move through the review process quickly and effectively, so over the past three years, we have tried to make the whole process more efficient." Hilary has been able to compare notes with people in similar positions at other institutions at regional and national meetings like the annual IACUC conference, and local conferences arranged by the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research and the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare. A popular conference theme in the post 9/11 world is the need for animal use and biosafety oversight committees to work closely together. "Attending conferences always provides a great opportunity to compare notes with my counterparts at other institutions and learn how they manage their compliance oversight programs."

Hilary looks forward to even greater efficiency with the introduction of an electronic- based system later this spring. "Research Affairs has purchased a system called BRAAN from API to help us manage both human subjects research protocols and animal research protocols. BRAAN will mean a researcher will be able to create a protocol online and submit it electronically, and Research Affairs staff will manage the workflow electronically." Hilary sees the move to an electronic system as a much needed change. "We will be able to provide plug-ins for standard procedures and be able to give the PI better guidance about the information that they need to include in a protocol. Our hope is that this will reduce the need to ask the PI to revise and rework a protocol submitted for review”.

The electronic system will also allow the various parties involved in protocol review to have different levels of access and interfaces. "So, for example, the system will generate different e-mails to the reviewers, the administrator, and the PI to let them know what they need to do," explained Hilary. "The program is very flexible and can be customized to meet the campus’ needs. Now is the time for people to give us their suggestions or input about how they would like the system to function."PIs might use their experience with the transition from paper-based to electronic forms with OGCA and the federal agencies to envision how they would like BRAAN to function. Contact Hilary Woodcock (413-577-0387) with questions or suggestions.