As part of the transition of several research administration functions to the Huron system, the e-Protocol biosafety submission system will undergo an upgrade in early 2026.
e-Protocol was developed on a previous Huron version that is not part of the same cloud-based interface that is used by the Huron IRB module. There will be minimal changes for researchers with the upgrade, and the new Huron Safety module will be accessible from the same dashboard as the Huron IRB module. Eventually, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocols will also transition to the Huron system.
While additional information and training will be available in the new year, to avoid submission and approval delays, researchers need to be aware of the following upcoming dates and deadlines related to the transition.
February 27, 2026: The last day initial submissions and amendments can be entered into e-Protocol.
- Any pending e-Protocol initial or amendment submissions (e.g., changes requested, modifications required, deferred) will not be migrated into the Huron Safety system. Only approved submissions will migrate into Huron.
- Submitting an initial application or amendment by February 27 will reduce the chances of starting the application process in e-Protocol and missing the window for review, requiring the need to submit the same application in the Huron Safety system.
February 27 – March 27, 2026: The IBC will work to review and approve submissions entered into e-Protocol.
March 27, 2026: First data migration from e-Protocol to the Huron Safety module. All approved protocols and amendments will be migrated into Huron.
March 30, 2026: The Huron Safety module will be live. Approved studies included in the first migration will be visible to researchers in the Huron Safety module. All new protocols need to be submitted in the Huron Safety module.
March 30 - April 10, 2026: IBC will continue to review and approve submissions that were entered into e-Protocol.
April 10, 2026: Second data migration from e-Protocol to the Huron Safety module. 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 the e-Protocol system must be resubmitted in the Huron Safety module. All submissions will be entered into the Huron system going forward.
Ohio State is 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, such as the Huron IRB system.