Repository Application

U-M Research Repositories

Research repositories (also called registries, banks, or libraries) are used to store data and/or biospecimens for future research use, either by the research team who collected them or to share with other researchers.  Making previously-collected data and biospecimens available to the research community maximizes their utility and is increasingly a priority at both the national and institutional level.  Research repositories that hold individually identifiable data or biospecimens are subject to IRB oversight.

“The IRB should review and approve a protocol specifying the conditions under which data and specimens may be accepted and shared, and ensuring adequate provisions to protect the privacy of subjects and the confidentiality of data.” ~ Office of Human Research Protection’s (OHRP) federal guidance

U-M Researchers & Repositories

U-M researchers may interact with repositories in three (3) different ways:

1. Collection of data and/or biospecimens from participants as part of a human subjects research project that are intended to be retained and shared for other future research.   IRB review and approval for this data collection process in accomplished via the standard IRB application (HUM).
2. Creation of a U-M repository, involving procedures for the intake, storage, maintenance and distribution of data/biospecimens.  IRB review and approval repositories in accomplished via a Repository Application (REP).  See a description of the REP below.  Once the U-M repository is approved, the REP can be linked to IRB applications (HUMs) to indicate that the study will contribute materials to the repository.
3. Secondary use of data/biospecimens obtained from a repository.  IRB review and approval for projects involving the use of data/biospecimens from repository is governed by the identifiability of the data and is accomplished via the HUM application.