2132 - Record Retention

1. All records which support sponsored project activities must be retained as follows:

RECORD CATEGORY	RETENTION SCHEDULE
Administrative Records	Up to 7* years after completion of research **, as specified by individual agency requirements (please take a moment to read the explanations of the asterisks set forth below; these apply to all uses of “up to 7” and “completion of research” found on thispage)
Financial Records	Up to 7 years after completion of research
Scientific Records	Up to 7 years after completion of research
Protocols and related documents (including consents and indemnification) on grants and contracts covering the use of human subjects and animals in research	Permanent.
Sponsored research	Up to 7 years unless a longer period is required by sponsor contract
Research involving investigational drugs	Up to 7 years after completion of research of possibly longer (see requirements of 21CFR312.62 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-retrieve.html#page1)
IRB records; minutes, agendas, other records	Up to 7 years after completion of research
Research involving medical devices	Up to 7 years after completion of research

*This retention period is a maximum retention period. Lesser retention periods are dictated by applicable agency(s) requirements.

**”Completion of Research” refers to the period after the final close out of the grant and after all final documents have been submitted. These submitted documents include Financial Status Reports, Progress Reports, Invention Reports and Property Reports.

• Federal Sponsors:Grants – In general, records must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final Financial Status Report to the sponsor.Contracts – In general, records must be retained for a period of three years from the date of payment of the final invoice by the sponsor.
• Non-Federal Sponsors:Records should be retained following the same guidelines required by Federal sponsors, unless the terms of the agreement specify otherwise.

2. If a department or school is uncertain as to whether or not the record retention requirements have been satisfied, the records should not be destroyed without the advice and consent of Research Services

 

The source of this document is Research Services