Institutional Authority under which the University of Pittsburgh hSCRO Committee is Established and Empowered

The Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh has delegated authority, through the Vice Chancellor for Research Conduct and Compliance (the designated Institutional Official), to the University Human Stem Cell Research Oversight (hSCRO) Committee to initially and periodically review, approve, require modifications of, or disapprove:

• all human embryonic stem (hES) cell research being conducted by University faculty, staff or students acting in their capacity as faculty, staff, or students respectively, or involving the use of University facilities;
• all other types of human stem cell research being conducted by University faculty, staff or students acting in their capacity as faculty, staff, or students respectively, or involving the use of University facilities

Purpose of the hSCRO Committee

The primary purpose of the University’s hSCRO Committee is to ensure that all federal and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania regulations governing the conduct of hES cell research are met; and that all human stem cell research is conducted in accordance with the general principles expressed in the National Academies’of Science Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.  Federally funded human stem cell research must also be in compliance with the applicable NIH Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research effective July, 2009.

The hSCRO Committee is to also serve as a resource for the research community and to ensure that alternatives to embryonic stem cell research have been evaluated. To accomplish this goal, the hSCRO Committee will be aware of the scope of human stem cell research conducted at the University of Pittsburgh.

Guidance on the University of Pittsburgh hSCRO submission process may be found in the policies and procedures http://www.rcco.pitt.edu/hscro/policy.pdf

University of Pittsburgh - hSCRO Office

Phone: 412-383-2826
Fax:     412-383-1508
e-Mail: escro@upmc.edu