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Inova Office of Research
Inova Office of Research (IOR) is the administrative arm of Research at Inova. IOR has a number of components, described below along with the staff members responsible for those areas.
Assistant Vice President, Inova Office of Research
Sarah H. Kiskaddon, JD
Human Research Protection Program (HRPP, formerly IRB)
The Human Research Protection Program is an administrative body that supports IRB committees and research compliance. IRB committees independently assure that the rights and welfare of all human participants in Inova research studies are protected. Learn more 
IOR Business Office
The Business Office provides oversight for research study budgets and billing. The office manages all financial activities for each spoke, including verification and processing of research bills for payment, invoicing sponsors and consolidation of study financials.
Office of Sponsored Research Projects (OSRP)
The Office of Sponsored Research Projects is the central point of contact for all contracts and legal negotiations for research studies. The Office provides assistance, guidance, and oversight in intellectual property management to maintain adherence to Inova policies and compliance with state and federal statutes and regulations. This includes education and support in filing for protection of researchers’ work and discoveries through patents and copyrights.
Research Education Office
The IOR Education Office offers educational opportunities to the research staff at Inova Fairfax Hospital and throughout Inova. This office conducts individualized orientation sessions for newly hired research personnel which focuses specifically on the administrative processes of the IOR. Development, revision, and review of IOR Standards of Practice is another function of the Education Office. In consultation with the Inova IRB, Inova research related policies are also reassessed, as needed, to reflect accurate direction and guidance from federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.
IOR Research Quality Improvement Team (RQIT)
RQIT conducts not-for-cause confidential peer reviews of on-going studies, to assist in improving the quality of research conducted at Inova. The team is comprised of representatives from different areas within the IOR hub. Studies are selected for review randomly or by request from the spoke lead.
Database Administration and Administrative Support
The Database Administration and Support Office is responsible for maintaining the IOR studies database. This office updates the content of the IOR websites on both the public and internal Inova websites at regular intervals. Required monthly reports and special project deliverables are collated and produced by this office.