Researcher Frequently Asked Questions

Any investigator working for an Institution with an active Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) on file with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). FWA numbers for institutions can be searched for at https://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/search/fwasearch.aspx?styp=bsc. If an FWA does not exist for a specific institution guidance on requesting an FWA can be found at https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/register-irbs-and-obtain-fwas/fwas/file-a-new-fwa/index.html.

Recipients of NBB tissue shall submit a progress report upon publication, completion of the research using the tissue or within one-year of receipt of the tissue. If publication occurs after the initial progress report is submitted to NBB the requestor is expected to follow up with NBB to indicate that a publication is available.

We encourage grant applicants to submit a request with details of your proposed research through NBB. The brain bank directors and NIH staff will review this, and may provide feedback. If evidence of funding is provided and the samples are available, they will be shipped at the requestor's expense. If funding is pending, and the request is approved in principle, the NBB can provide a letter of support if needed.

The only expense the requestor or receiving lab will be expected to cover is the cost for shipping samples. If your tissue request is approved, you will be asked to provide this shipping information.

Authority to sign MTAs on behalf of the RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION is highly variable. In most cases, Principal Investigators and their staff do not have the signatory authority to legally bind their Institution in Material Transfer Agreements. Please ensure that your MTA is signed by the RECIPIENT SCIENTIST as well as the appropriate Authorized Official prior to submitting your tissue request to the NBB. For most academic institutions, the "Authorized Official" will be a representative from the Technology Transfer Office. The "Recipient Scientist" will be the requestor or the Principal Investigator. Please contact the NBB with any further questions.

The MTA is effective for 1 year after it has been electronically countersigned by the NIH Authorized Official. The contact information is available on the MTA template.

The NBB approved/signed MTA will be available via the "Agreements" tab of the request. The requesting institution officials will receive an unsigned copy of the MTA during the e-signature process. It is the responsibility of the Requestor/Investigator to download the NBB signed MTA and provide it to requesting institution officials as necessary.

The NBB standard MTA should be used, as is, unless it is absolutely necessary to make minor changes. In the event that minor changes are required, the website will let you add comments or notes to each section of the MTA during the regular workflow. Please note that adding comments or notes to the standard MTA will lengthen the request process.

IRB Protocol Number: 19920358 (CR0001775)

• IRB: University of Miami Institutional Review Board
• Title: Brain Endowment Bank

IRB Protocol Number: HM-HP-00042077

• IRB: The University of Maryland Institutional Review Board
• Title: University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank

IRB Protocol Number: 5-58

• IRB: The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene IRB
• Title: University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank

IRB Protocol Number: 2015P002028

• IRB: Partners Human Research Committee
• Title: Brain Tissue Repository for Research on Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

IRB Protocol Number: PCC#: 2015-060672, VA Project #: 0002

• IRB: Department of Veterans Affairs - Los Angeles
• Title: NIH Brain and Tissue Repository - California

IRB Protocol Number: HAR-13-059

• IRB: Bronx VA Medical Center Institutional Review Board
• Title: The NIMH, NICHD, NINDS Brain and Tissue Repository

IRB Protocol Number: REN14120157/IRB981146

• IRB: University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board
• Title: University of Pittsburgh NIMH, NICHD, NINDS Brain and Tissue Repository

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