Research Administration Platforms Transition
Ohio State will be transitioning to the Huron Research Suite to support and facilitate several research administration functions over the next few years. The system is used widely and provides one, integrated, comprehensive research administration solution across multiple areas of ERIK-managed research activities. The solutions also integrate with existing Ohio State systems - in fact, several Huron systems are already used at Ohio State.
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) upgrade from e-Protocol
The second solution to be implemented is the Huron Safety tool that is an upgrade of the current e-Protocol Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) system (a Huron product). The Safety module will go live in the first quarter of 2026, conveniently located in the same cloud-based Huron application as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) module.
The IBC is responsible for reviewing all research that involves the use of recombinant DNA in accordance with the NIH Guidelines and ensuring that the proposed activities comply with the federal regulations governing them. In addition, the IBC, in conjunction with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, provides guidance to the Ohio State research community regarding the proper acquisition, handling, transfer, and disposal of potentially hazardous or regulated biological materials.
The Huron system is based on best practices and operating norms based on engagement with hundreds of higher education institutions. The new Safety tool provide easy access to all protocol data, track individual safety protocols serially or in parallel with IRB studies in the tool and help ensure alignment with federal, state and local regulations.
Huron Safety system update
Updated March 11, 2026
The Huron Safety system will go live on March 30, 2026, for Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) submissions. The new system is an enhanced version of the current e-Protocol system and functions similarly to e-Protocol.
The existing e-Protocol system will remain in use for IACUC and Animal Operations business processes until the transition of these functions to Huron in 2027. On the go-live date, researchers will receive an email containing a direct link to the Huron Safety system and instructions for getting started.
Getting ready for Huron Safety
To support a smooth transition, the following resources are available:
BuckeyeLearn training - A training module is available in BuckeyeLearn that provides an overview of the Huron Safety system for investigators and study staff. The training is indexed to allow navigation directly to any topic of interest. This training will be updated throughout the transition period with new content added as appropriate.
Knowledge base articles - Several articles will be available to help navigate the system in the ERIK Research Knowledge Base under How To > Huron Safety. Additions and updates will be made throughout the transition period.
Data migration schedule
Due to the size and complexity of Ohio State’s portfolio of more than 1300 active IBC studies, there are several key dates to note as the transition is made from e-Protocol to the Huron Safety system.
- March 27, 2026: First data migration from e-Protocol to the Huron Safety system. All approved protocols and amendments will be migrated into Huron.
- March 30, 2026: The Huron Safety system will be live. Approved studies included in the first migration will be visible to researchers in the Huron Safety system. Going forward, all new protocols must be submitted in the Huron Safety system.
- March 30 – April 10, 2026: Second data migration from e-Protocol to the Huron Safety system. All protocols approved before April 10 will be migrated into the Huron system.
- April 13, 2026: e-Protocol will become read-only. All approved protocols will be in the Huron Safety system. Any protocols submitted but not approved in e-Protocol must be resubmitted in the Huron Safety system. All IBC submissions will be managed in the Huron Safety system only.
Support and assistance
Researchers can contact IBCInfo@osu.edu or Anthony Dent (dent.56@osu.edu) for assistance or to schedule time to discuss navigation in the Huron Safety system.
About the Huron Research Suite
Ohio State is transitioning to the Huron Research Suite to support and faciliate several research administration functions over the next few years. The system is used widely and provides one, integrated, comprehensive research administration solution across multiple areas of ERIK-managed research activities. The first Huron module implemented was Huron IRB, replacing Buck-IRB in March 2025 (visit the Getting Started in Huron IRB page for more information). Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Animal Operations are scheduled to go live in 2027.