Investigators and Staff

Your Clinical Trial / Research Project

The Office of Research Services is a division of the Advocate Health Care Department of Medical Education and Research. It was created to assist Advocate research personnel with the ethical, legal, and financial aspects of research with respect to the Guidelines for the Conduct of Adult and Pediatric Research (Policy #90.01.09) at Advocate Health Care. Centralized and integrated, our office is dedicated to assisting the Advocate investigator/researcher.

Starting Up Your Adult Clinical Research

Role of the Director of Research Services
Geographically assigned to provide service to all investigators/researchers in the Advocate Health Care system, the Director of Research Services is your entry point to research at Advocate Health Care. Each designated individual is capable of assisting you in any/all aspects of the research process. Contact your Director of Research Services for an initial consultation.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Research protocols involving the use of human subjects are required to undergo a review by the Advocate Institutional Review Board. Any protocols including patients within any Advocate facility must undergo IRB review by the Advocate IRB.

Agreements/Contracts
Research studies supported by an industry sponsor to evaluate a medical device or product must have the clinical study/trial agreement reviewed by designated legal representatives of Advocate Health Care. The Vice President of Medical Education and Research is the only authorized signatory for research agreements on behalf of Advocate Health Care.

Budgets
All research protocols, regardless of the source of funding, must be accompanied by a "real-time" budget. Approval of the final budget, at both the institutional level and by the Department of Medical Education and Research, is mandatory for all research protocols.