Research Administration Platforms Transition

group of researchers working at computers group of researchers working at computers

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) Transition from e-Protocol

The second solution to be implemented is the Huron Safety tool that will upgrade the current e-Protocol Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) system. The Safety module will be live in early 2026, conveniently located in the same cloud-based Huron application as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) tool. 

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. 

The Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge team is working through the requirements and customizations of the system now. More details, information and training opportunities will be shared once they are available.  

Other Transitions

Other research administration tools will be transitioning to Huron, including IACUC and Animal Operations, scheduled to go live in 2027. 

The first Huron tool implemented was Huron IRB, replacing Buck-IRB in March 2025. To learn more about Huron IRB, visit the Getting Started in Huron IRB page.