Central Research Privacy Board (CRPB) VA CPRB Memorandum of Understanding

Overview | Memorandum of Understanding | Submission Processes & Documents | Administration

VA Facility

The VA Facility requests the services of the Central Research Privacy Board (CRPB) by executing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the VA Central Office. Signatories are the VA Facility Medical Center Director and the Director of Regulatory Affairs, ORPP&E. The facilitation of the MOU is between the VA Facility Local Site Liaison (LSL) and the VA CRPB Administrator. VA Nonprofit Corporation (VA NPCs) do not enter into MOUs for use of the VA CRPB. Note: There is no fee for use of the VA CRPB.

Study teams should contact their local Research Office to request the use of the VA CRPB. The Local Site Liaison (LSL) serves as the primary point of contact between the facility and VA Central Office-ORD for the MOU process.

a. Create a VAIRRS Account:

The LSL and all facility investigators must:

• Create a VAIRRS account by accessing the site at https://gov.irbnet.org/release/index.html. A VAIRRS account must be created by the LSL even if the VA facility is not currently active on VAIRRS. Existing VAIRRS accounts will be sufficient for LSL and all facility investigators and as such, no new accounts should be requested. A VAIRRS account must be created by the investigator. All VA institutions have been added to VAIRRS.
• Email the CRPB Administrator ([email protected]) upon registration completion. Access to the CRPB workspace in VAIRRS will only be granted to registered users.

b. Begin Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Process:

VA Facility Medical Director:

• Identifies the LSL to serve as the primary point of contact for this MOU submission and future VAIRRS communication in writing.

• Signs MOU upon receipt from the local Research Office.

LSL:

• Download the VA CRPB MOU template and update the VA CRPB MOU to reflect the name of local VA Facility throughout the document. The MOU must be signed by the Medical Facility Director.
• Attaches the signed CRPB MOU and the LSL appointment letter to the VA CRPB Administrator ([email protected]) in an email. The request must be sent by the LSL or designee. Include the name and contact information for the VA Facility representative who will serve as the LSL.

Email Example:
Subject line: VA CRPB MOU Submission for the VA Facility ABC
Text of email: The signed VA CRPB MOU for VA Facility ABC is attached. Our VA Facility representative who will serve as the LSL is Jane Doe; email; [email protected]; phone: 123-456-1234

Email Example:

Subject line: VA CRPB MOU Submission for the VA Facility ABC

Text of email: The signed VA CRPB MOU for VA Facility ABC is attached. Our VA Facility representative who will serve as the LSL is Jane Doe; email; [email protected]; phone: 123-456-1234

VA CRPB

The VA CRPB Administrator will:

• Route the Facility signed MOU to the VACO signatory, Director of Regulatory Affairs, ORPP&E for signature.
• After the CRPB MOU has been signed by ORD, a copy of the executed CRPB MOU and the VA CRPB Submission Application will be provided returned via reply email to the initial email request. This application should be added to the local facility VAIRRS Library in the Library Manager to allow their investigators to access the form. (NOTE: The VA CRPB Submission Application will also be available in the CRPB Forms library for those investigators whose institutions are not active in VAIRRS.)

• Update the list of all VA Facilities with executed VA CRPB MOUs on this website.

Additional information is available in the CRPB Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Contact Information: 

Michelle Christiano
VA CRPB Administrator/ORD Privacy Officer
Phone: 706-399-7980
Email: [email protected]

VA CRPB Mailbox: [email protected]