The Strathmore University Research Office recently completed a training session for members of the Institution Review Board (IRB) on the newly adopted Research Management System RHInnO. The RHInnO system is a system that manages data, and oversees and automates the entire life-cycle of the research process. RHInnO maintains the whole research governance process allowing users to improve management, avoid misplacing paperwork and speed-up the process – making work more efficient and cost effective. Conducting the sessions were Mr. Evance Otieno – CREATES (Strathmore University’s Centre for Research in Therapeutic Sciences) and Mr. Antony Kiuna from Research Office.

 

The training session was aimed at providing members of the IRB with the prerequisite skills to manage research proposals that require ethical approval. Strathmore University through the IRB is mandated by the National Commission of Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) to provide researchers with ethical approval for them to undertake their studies. The training was a culmination of efforts that started with the launch of the IRB in 2014 and is hoped to enhance ethical research within the Strathmore community and the nation at large.

 

During the sessions, the team discussed the process of managing research proposals and protocols, as well as making improvements to the system to better cater for Strathmore and local researchers within Kenya. It was realized that the system leaned more towards a clinical trial research rather than both the clinical and the social science research. With this realization it was decided that more training needs to be done.

 

Once modifications have taken place, the system will run in the Strathmore Research website. The system will handle reviewers and researchers who will be able to hand in proposals online, instead of physically.