Research Compliance

Stanford is committed to ethical and responsible conduct of research both in the U.S. and internationally. The Research Policy Handbook is a collection of policies, guidelines, and general information related to the research enterprise at Stanford.

Foreign research compliance requirements will vary from country to country. Hence, international research might have specific ethics-review requirements, similar to the Stanford Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, for the use of humans and animals in research in that country. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has general information regarding human subjects participating in research taking place outside of the U.S. They also have an International Compilation of Human Research Standards that is updated annually. There may be other foreign regulatory requirements for research, including permits, reporting, data samples, etc. that are specific to the foreign country. The U.S. Government resources are only a first step. Best practice would be to also review guidelines for the country where your activity will take place. If you are working with an in-country collaborator, they should be able to direct you to local guidelines and compliance requirements.

What's Next?

Review the latest versions of Stanford's Research Policy Handbook and the International Compilation of Human Research Standards. If you have any remaining questions after reading the handbook, review the other materials available at the DoResearch website for additional guidance. Additionally, you should look at the country-specific guidelines for conducting research in that location.