Research Core Facilities

The shared interdepartmental facilities of Partners HealthCare bring state-of-the-art instrumentation, methodologies, and expertise crucial to the promotion of research at Partners. They allow for more efficient use of resources, promote collaboration among investigators, and further enhance the competitiveness of Partners investigators to secure research funding.

Research Core Facilities make it possible to share our wealth of expertise, facilities, and equipment with the research community.

To learn more, visit the Partners Research Core Facilities website.

Research Management

Partners supports the research activities at our member institutions by facilitating administrative, financial, and regulatory requirements of our research efforts. The departments at Partners that support the research enterprise at our hospitals are listed below.

Learn more about Research Management.

Research Applications and Analytics

The Partners Healthcare Research Applications and Analytics Group (RAA) is composed of IS, analytics, and contract staff working under the direction of Scott McNeal. RAA is responsible for supporting the administrative systems required to manage the Partners biomedical research portfolio. The group’s sponsored applications provide the core features necessary across research management, human studies oversight, grants and contracts processing and animal program management.

Click here for the Research Management FY17 Annual Report

Scott McNeal, Director of Research Applications & Analytics – 857-282-1948 – smcneal@partners.org

Jonathan Kutrubes, Research Analytics Manager – 857-282-1825 – jkutrubes@partners.org

Research Compliance

The Partners Research Compliance Office supports the research mission of Partners and its affiliates. This office is a component of the Partners Compliance and Business Integrity Department, which promotes adherence to regulatory requirements and supports the development of ethical business practices throughout all of Partners.

Learn more about Research Compliance.

Partners Human Research Office/Partners Institutional Review Board

The Partners Human Research Committee (PHRC) is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and must approve all human-subject research conducted by a Partners-affiliated investigator. For more information about the IRB policies and guidance, authorization agreements, or federal-wide assurances, visit the human research committee and IRB section.

Jesse Ripton, Director, IRB Operations – jripton@partners.org

Human Research Quality Improvement Program

The Partners Quality Improvement (QI) Program is committed to providing on-going support and education to the research community. Our knowledgeable staff works closely with you to ensure the optimal conduct of human research within the framework of federal regulations, institutional policies, and good clinical practice.

How Can the QI Program Help You?

• Not-for-cause/routine onsite reviews
• For-cause onsite reviews
• Assistance in study start-up
• Educational In-Services
• Assistance with FDA applications
• Assistance with ClinicalTrials.gov Registration

For a complete list and description of QI services, log-in to the Partners Research Navigator (Partners username and password required) or email us at humanresearchqi@partners.org.

Partners Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Partners Institutional Biosafety Committee (PIBC) reviews biological research involving recombinant DNA (rDNA), infectious agents, human and non-human primate materials, and biological toxins conducted at Partners.

Ryan Schlimgen, PIBC Director – 857-282-1799 – rschlimgen@partners.org

Partners Research Information Services and Computing

Partners Research Information Services and Computing (RISC) supports research by providing scientific services and technology, a centralized clinical data registry, genomics IT, specimen banking, and administrative systems. These specialized applications, processes and resources support basic, biomedical and clinical research missions across the academic medical centers of Partners.

For more information visit http://rc.partners.org/. For more information about requesting services or a consultation, please contact rcc@partners.org.

Partners Innovation

Partners Innovation handles a wide range of responsibilities relating to translational research and the management of intellectual property and its associated institutional policies. The group provides investigators and administrators with guidance on commercialization and related opportunities, including intellectual property, material transfer agreements, marketing, licensing, start-up viability, and business development.

For more information, visit the Partners Innovation website.

Partners Office for Interactions with Industry

The Office for Interactions with Industry (OII) oversees, administers, and educates staff about all policies relating to interactions with industry and conflicts of interest. While valuable and encouraged by Partners, relationships with industry can raise the concern that the financial and other aspects of the relationship may create conflicts of interest that can bias, or appear to bias, how Partners and individuals at Partners carry out their charitable activities. OII facilitates the establishment of relationships with industry in such a way that minimize the risk of bias.

For questions related to the OII, please email PHSOII@partners.org.

Partners Clinical Trials Office

Partners Clinical Trials Office (CTO) is responsible for developing, negotiating and executing agreements and budgets for industry-sponsored clinical research at many Partners  entities including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Faulkner, Newton-Wellesley, and Spaulding Rehabilitation hospitals and Partners Community Healthcare, Inc.

Maureen Lawton, Corporate Director of Partners Clinical Trials Office – 857-282-1788 – mlawton@partners.org

Suzanne E. Morin, Director of Operations of Partners Clinical Trials Office – 857 282 1862 smorin2@partners.org

Learn more about the CTO office or email CTOmailbox@partners.org.

Research Support Services

Our consulting expertise covers a wide range of research services. In addition, we offer training for any of our services for research and department staff.

Pre-Award Management

Our experienced staff can guide you through every step of the application process. Our pre-award services include:

• Proposal Administration & Coordination
• Just-In-Time Documentation
• Sponsor-specific software data entry
• Major Deadline Assistance

Award Management

Our first priority is to ensure financial and administrative compliance for your research portfolio. We can assist you in all aspects of managing your award, including:

• Financial Reconciliation
• Effort & Salary Alignment
• Progress Report Coordination
• Spending Projections & Expense Allocation
• Subcontract Management
• Clinical Trial Invoicing

Email: ResearchSupportServices@partners.org

Resources at the Partners Institutions

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have established clinical research support programs to enhance translational (bench to bedside) research, train clinical investigators and clinical research coordinators, increase clinical trial activity, and coordinate with the clinical research programs of the Harvard-Dana Farber Cancer Institute Joint Venture, and Harvard CATALYST, the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center.

• Learn more about the BWH's Center for Clinical Investigation.
• Learn more about the MGH Clinical Research Program.

The MGH Division of Clinical Research (DCR) and the BWH Center for Clinical Investigation (CCI) provide educational programs that strive to improve the quality and increase the quantity of clinical research by educating current and future investigators, research nurses and study coordinators. McLean Hospital also offers many programs to support the education and training of faculty, staff, and trainees. Information can be found on their Brainwaves intranet site (Partners username and password required) or on the McLean Research Navigator site.

In addition, BWH, McLean, and MGH have centers devoted to faculty development which aim to facilitate career advancement and support professional development.

• Learn more about the BWH Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.
• Learn more about the McLean Faculty Development program.
• Learn more about the MGH Center for Faculty Development.