NRP Did you Know?
What are Data Security Contacts and Who Are They?
The IT Data Security Contacts are individuals who have been identified by IT leadership in your school, center, or institute for your administering department. These individuals assist the PI with ensuring their research data are properly safeguarded. PIs and project coordinators are encouraged to reach out to the IT Data Security staff for assistance early in the project’s planning so that the appropriate data security plans are put in place.
Emails are sent to the IT Data Security Contacts linked to the administering department and copied to the PI for the following actions:
• Initial submission of a new IRB protocol
• “Approval” of the initial IRB submission (including “Not Human Subjects Research” determination if the study contains Level II or Level III data)
• IRB modification that results in a change to the Data Security Level
• Change in the Administering Department
Additional information about UNC data security requirements involving sensitive data (Levels I, II, and III) is provided in the email.
For information specific to your project, you can also access your data security requirements in the Data Security Requirements section of your IRB application.
You can identify your data security contacts in IRBIS. From the Study Management page, click on the blue underlined Reference ID. On the Application Status page, the data security contacts will be listed in the bottom section of the page.
Here are some additional resources regarding data security:
https://safecomputing.unc.edu/data/information-security-liaisons/
If you have questions regarding information security practices, a great place to start is your department’s Information Security Liaison. https://safecomputing.unc.edu/data/information-security-liaisons/isl-list/
If you are unable to locate your ISL using the list, please contact your local IT support, ask to speak with an ISL and they will be able to connect you with the appropriate person.