Our Mission
The Office of Research Oversight (ORO) is dedicated to promoting the responsible conduct of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research for the protection of Veterans and others who volunteer in VA research, and for the benefit of all Veterans whose health and well-being are improved by the discoveries made through a sound and ethically grounded VA research program.
ORO monitors, reviews, and investigates matters of research compliance that involve VA research. Specifically, ORO provides oversight of compliance with VA and other Federal requirements for the protection of human research subjects, laboratory animal welfare, research safety, research laboratory security, research information security, and research misconduct. ORO provides such oversight through site reviews, evaluations of VA medical facility remediation plans to resolve noncompliance, and other means. ORO also provides research auditing education to facility Research Compliance Officers (RCOs) and administratively oversees VA medical facility research program submissions of human research assurances, which are written commitments by VA medical facility leaders that their institutions will comply with VA and other Federal requirements pertaining to the protection of human research subjects.
The creation of an "Office of Research Oversight" within the Veterans Health Administration was mandated under legislation signed by the President on December 6, 2003, as Public Law 108-170. Per the statute, ORO reports directly to the Under Secretary for Health and serves as the primary VHA office for advising the Under Secretary on matters of research compliance. The statute further provides that ORO shall function independently of entities within the Veterans Health Administration with responsibility for the conduct of medical research programs.
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